The Kano State Islamic Council of Ulama has observed a special funeral prayer for the late businessman and philanthropist, Aminu Dantata, who died on Saturday.

The “Ga’ib Prayers” is an Islamic funeral procession that is performed when the corpse of the deceased is not physically present.

The Chairman of the Kano State Council of Ulama, Sheikh Ibrahim Khalil, led the prayers at Umar Bin Khattab mosque.

Mr Dantata, a businessman and philanthropist, died on Saturday morning in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates.

He was 94.

Mr Dantata was the last surviving child of Alhassan Dantata.

PREMIUM TIMES learnt that the Dantata family are making arrangements for the deceased to be buried in Madinah, Saudi Arabia.

“His long-term wish was to be laid to rest in the Holy Prophet’s city of Madinah,” said his principal secretary, Mustapha Junaidu. “We are making arrangements to fulfil that wish for him.”

“Arrangements for approval from Saudi authorities to move the corpse from Abu Dhabi to Madinah are still ongoing on Saturday evening,” Mr Junaidu said.

“But if it prolongs, the deceased will be brought back to Kano for burial.”

His business interests span across agriculture, real estate, construction and manufacturing. Mr Dantata is an uncle to Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote.

Born in Kano in 1931, Mr Dantata was Chancellor of Al-Qalam University. He started his business career at 18 years as a Produce buyer in Alhassan Dantata and Sons Limited. He is now the Chairman and Managing Director of the Company.

In addition to his business interests, Mr Dantata was elected a member of the Northern House of Assembly in 1966 and the following year appointed a Commissioner in the Kano State Government, where he served from 1967 to 1973.

Mr Dantata also served as a member of the Assembly Drafting Committee for the 1979 constitution, which ushered in Nigeria’s Second Republic in 1979. He is a recipient of several honorary degrees from different universities.