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 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 report 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.

ATN recalls 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.