Matrix Energy Limited, an Indigenous oil company, has pleased with a Federal Capital Territory High Court to stop two media houses and others from further publishing alleged libellous stories about its oil shipping business.
Matrix and its CEO, Abdulkadir Adisa Aliu, in their court processes, denied any coalition with Nigeria’s economic enemies to import adulterated, substandard, or low-quality petroleum products into the country.
They had earlier responded to reports accusing them of importing substandard petrol into Nigeria, particularly from Malta, insisting that their products meet the required guidelines.
In a statement on August 17, 2024, the spokesperson for the oil company, Ibrahim Akinola, said reports by an online publication that Matrix Energy was behind the importation of petrol from Malta to Nigeria is entirely inaccurate.
Nairametrics reported that Aliko Dangote, CEO of Dangote Refinery, recently alleged that certain oil operators are colluding with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to run an illegal blending plant in Malta, a European country, for the purpose of importing substandard petroleum products into Nigeria.
The Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of NNPC, Mele Kyari, however, denied any ownership or operation of a refinery in Malta, vowing to push for the prosecution of any defaulting NNPC staff and others involved.
Interestingly, Nigeria’s petroleum imports from Malta saw a significant surge in 2023, reaching $2.8 billion.
This is a stark contrast to the years between 2017 and 2022, during which there were no imports, and the mere $13.32 million imported in 2016, raising concerns about Nigeria’s dealings with the small European nation.
In a statement on August 17, 2024, Matrix Energy, which is allegedly reported to be importing from Malta, denied any wrongdoing, adding that its petroleum products meet all regulatory guidelines.
Though the company did not deny the importation of petrol from Malta and elsewhere, it stated that contrary to the claim by news report, it did not discharge 200,000 metric tons of PMS into its facility in July 2024.
Meanwhile, the company noted that, like all oil operators in Nigeria, it has the right to source its products from any part of the world, as long as it is not breaking any Nigerian or international law.
The company stated: “Our Chief Executive Officer, Abdulkabir Adisa, is a talented and dedicated Nigerian with the right to associate freely as well as trade freely in any part of the world. As he stated in his presentation before the Nigerian Senate, we are not aware that Nigerian companies have been banned from bringing in legitimate and standard products from outside the country, and until such a ban is in place, we will continue to serve the public with the best quality products.”
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