News of a major security breach has stirred fresh conversations around two of Nigeria’s most influential businessmen, Aliko Dangote and Femi Otedola, after reports emerged that hackers gained access to their mobile phones.
According to insiders who spoke with The Cable, both men recently discovered that their devices had been compromised. Otedola reportedly faced one successful intrusion, while Dangote’s phone was breached twice within 48 hours.
The attackers were said to have issued financial demands, although it remains unclear whether the two businessmen have fully regained control of their devices.
A source familiar with the situation noted that the intruders attempted to extort money from both men, raising concerns about the rising sophistication of cyberattacks targeting high-profile individuals.
Dangote and Otedola share a long-standing bond, publicly referring to each other as brothers. Their camaraderie has often been seen at major industry events—most recently at the announcement of the expansion plan for the Dangote Refinery, increasing its capacity from 650,000 to 1.4 million barrels per day.
Otedola, who frequently speaks highly of Dangote, described him as “Africa’s pride,” praising the refinery project as an investment that will shape the future of the continent. He emphasized that the refinery will eventually become a shared national asset, symbolizing a vision that extends beyond one individual.
In a separate development, Otedola—author of Making It Big—recently increased his shares in First HoldCo Plc with an additional purchase of 64.87 million units worth over N2 billion.
