Alleged dirty fuel importation: Oil company files libel suits, seeks N20bn damages
An indigenous oil company, Matrix Energy Limited, has filed suits before the Federal Capital Territory High Court seeking N20 billion as damages over reports linking it to the alleged importation of low grade fuel from Malta to Nigeria.
The company and its Chief Executive Officer, CEO, Alhaji Abdulkadir Adisa Aliu, who are the plaintiffs in the suits numbered CV/3718/2024 and CV/3719/2024, described the reports published by two media houses as libelous.
In a suit filed by their counsel, Ahmed Raji, SAN, the plaintiffs are praying the court for an order restraining the two media houses from further publishing libelous reports against them.
The company and its CEO are seeking N10 billion each as damages from the two media houses, and an additional N200 million as the cost of filing the suit.
According to the suit numbered CV/3718/2024, the report titled, ‘From Russia to Malta: How Matrix Energy imports dirty petrol’, alleged that the oil company had been importing substandard petroleum products from Malta, a country with no known oil refineries.
Denying the allegation, the plaintiffs asked the court for a declaration that the publications made by the defendants on the 17th day of August, 2024 is false, malicious, libelous and defamatory.
They also asked for an order compelling the defendants to forthwith delete or cause to be deleted the libelous/defamatory words contained in the publications, as well as an order compelling the defendants to immediately and wholly retract the libelous/defamatory words contained in their publications.
In the same vein, the plaintiffs are asking the court to order the defendants to tender an unreserved apology over the publications.
In addition to seeking the sum of N10 billion as damages, the plaintiffs also asked the court for an order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendants from further publishing libelous or any other defamatory words/stories about them.
The plaintiffs informed the court the reports published by the defendants “deliberately, carelessly, intentionally and maliciously” portrayed them as conniving with economic enemies of Nigeria to import adulterated, substandard/low quality petroleum products into the country.
It will be recalled that Matrix Oil Limited has earlier, in a statement by its spokesman Ibrahim Akinola, denied reports linking it to the importation of petrol from Malta to Nigeria.
