Dangote Denies Co-Ownership Of Executive Jet Services That Conveyed Naira Marley To Abuja

Chairman of Dangote Group and Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, has denied claims that he co-owns Executive Jet Services Ltd which conveyed Naira Marley to Abuja for a concert.

AllNews reports that Marley had flown to Abuja to hold a concert against COVID-19 guidelines.

This led to controversies on social media street, leading the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) to shut down Jabi Lake Mall where the concert held against the COVID-19 order. The airline was also suspended by the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika.

Shortly after, a report published by SaharaReporters said that Dangote co-owned the jet company, but the jet, Bombardier Challenger 605 with registration number 5N-EXS, is owned by businessman Sam Iwajoku.

In a statement on Wednesday, the Group Head, Branding and Corporate Communications, Dangote Group, Anthony Chiejina, denied claims that the business tycoon co-owned the company.

The statement read: “Our attention has been drawn to an online publication which alleged that our President/CE, Aliko Dangote is a co-owner of the Executive Jets Services Ltd, a private airline based in Lagos. We hereby refute this allegation in its entirety, as Aliko Dangote has no stake or vested interest in the Executive Jets Services Ltd.

“The said aircraft Bombardier Challenger 605 with registration number 5N-EXS does not belong to Aliko Dangote. Dangote Group only keeps its fleet of aircraft in the hangars operated by Executive Jets Services Ltd just as others also avail themselves of the hangar services. The general public is hereby advised to disregard this unfounded and misleading report.”

Meanwhile, the company had said the controversial singer was mistaken for Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola.

The company claimed that the singer whose biological name is Azeez Fashola, entered his real name as “Babatunde Fashola” rather than his stage name in the Passenger manifest before the flight took off.