August 17, (THEWILL) – Data seen by the THEWILL has unveiled how Matrix Energy imports substandard petroleum products into Nigeria, including Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), diesel and Jet A-1 fuel from Russia and Malta.
Owned by businessman Abdulkabir Adisa Aliu, a member of the Presidential Economic Coordination Council (PECC), reports first Published by TheCable and followed by BusinessDay also uncovered how Matrix which has three old ships (Matrix Pride, Matrix Triumph, and Matrix S.ILU), loads low-quality petroleum products from Russia to Malta for blending before being shipped to Nigeria and sold to the unsuspecting public.
Using a barely known shell company, Poly Pro Trading DMCC, a company which Aliu controls, these latest off specification petrol (over 200m liters) were shipped on a vessel called ROMEOS from Malta to Nigeria via a Bill of Lading seen by THEWILL dated July 14, 2024. The products which arrived Nigeria on August 3, 2024, were discharged into a Pinnacle facility at Lekki, according to a Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Authority (NMDPRA) document seen by THEWILL.
THEWILL recalls that amid the controversy between Dangote Refinery and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Authority, a test supervised by Members of the House of Representatives on diesel from the Dangote Refinery and those imported into the country by Matrix Energy revealed that the latter’s products had excessive sulphur levels. President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, had also alleged that a cabal in the oil sector had commissioned blending plants and terminals in Malta for the shady dealings.
Available records also detailed how Nigeria’s petroleum importation from Malta surged significantly to $2.8bn as against zero between 2017 and 2022, and a mere $13.32m in 2016.
