A Nigerian petroleum expert, Engr. Kailani Mohammed, has challenged billionaire industrialist Aliko Dangote to publicly explain the source of his wealth, particularly during his time in Port Harcourt in the 1980s.
Mohammed made the remarks while reacting to Dangote’s recent allegations against the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Farouk Ahmed.
Dangote had accused Farouk Ahmed of spending about $5 million on the secondary education of his children in Switzerland, a claim he said he could substantiate with evidence. In a viral video, Dangote challenged the NMDPRA boss to publicly deny the allegation.
Responding in an interview with Trust TV, Mohammed criticised Dangote for what he described as personal attacks, warning against attempts to dominate the petroleum industry.
“When you are fighting, you don’t touch people personally,” Mohammed said. “Can Dangote tell Nigerians how he made his money in the 1980s when he was in Port Harcourt? Who is completely clean?”
He accused Dangote of using allegations as a strategy to discredit opponents whenever monopoly interests are threatened.
“Any time you want to monopolise an industry, you bring up allegations against individuals,” he said, adding that events surrounding Dangote’s early business dealings in Port Harcourt were well known, even though they were never publicly questioned at the time.
Mohammed also disputed Dangote’s claims about the operational capacity of the Dangote Refinery, stating that the refinery’s Fuel Catalytic Cracker (FCC), which would significantly boost production output, is not yet functional.
He noted that Farouk Ahmed had previously raised concerns about the refinery’s actual production capacity, a position he said industry experts continue to support.
