The Federal High Court in Abuja has heard how Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, narrowly escaped being defrauded of billions of naira in a scheme involving foreign contractors and local collaborators.
According to court documents filed by the Inspector General of Police (IGP), a group of foreign nationals engaged to provide under-sea pipeline services for Dangote Refineries allegedly forged documents to claim $50 million from the company. The foreigners, identified as He Jun, Sun Yuzhu, Yong Li, Dr. Feng, Jaykumar Sagar and Rajnish Gupta, were said to have presented a fake certificate of contract completion before the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA), despite failing to execute the contract.
The documents further revealed that one of Dangote Cement’s truck drivers, Mohammed Tayiru, alongside others, allegedly diverted truckloads of thick iron pipes valued in billions of naira. Proceeds from the alleged diversion were traced to five bank accounts across different banks, which the IGP sought to freeze.
At the hearing on Friday, the police lawyer, Assistant Commissioner of Police Rimamsomte Ezekiel, told the court that the foreigners are currently based in Lagos and that a criminal charge has already been filed against them before the High Court of Lagos State, with charge number 11/26401C/2025.
The case underscores the scale of fraudulent attempts targeted at Dangote’s multi-billion dollar refinery and cement businesses, and the ongoing efforts by Nigerian authorities to prosecute the alleged perpetrators.