Africa richest man and Nigeria business mogul ,Alhaji Aliko Dangote has denied claims he is caught up in the Radisson Blu hotel siege by Islamic jihadists.
Earlier reports claimed Dangote is one of the guests staying at five-star hotel in Bamako, Mali, which gunmen attacked this morning.
In a tweet @AlikoDangote, the money man said ” Rumours about me being held hostage is false. I was in Mali yesterday. Thanks for your concern. My prayers with those involved.
The gunmen are holding 170 hostages in the capital city, according to witnesses.
According to them, the attackers shouting “Allahu Akbar” opened fire outside the Radisson Blu Hotel in the centre of the capital before storming it.
Automatic weapon fire could be heard from outside the 190-room hotel where security forces set up a security cordon.
A business owner in Bamako, Garba Konate said a group of attackers showed up about three hours earlier.
“About 10 gunmen arrived early in the morning and shot all the guards in front of the Radisson,” Konate said.