Presidency clarifies
A member of Tinubus Presidential Economic Coordination Council (PECC), Abdulkabir Adisa Aliu, has been fingered to be behind the allegedpetrol imports from Malta and Russia.

Leaked documents and extensive interviews with sources have unveiled how Nigeria, Africas biggest oil-producing country, has been importing sub-standard petroleum products from Malta, a country with no known oil refineries.
Recall that Chairman of ?angote Refinery, Aliko ?angote, recently made some revelations about the increase in fuel imports from Malta In 2023, Nigerias petroleum importation from Malta soared to $2.08 billion, a stark rise from zero between 2017 and 2022, and a modest $13.32 million in 2016.
One of the leaked documents detailed a complex scheme involving the importation of low-quality petroleum petrol from Russia to Malta for blending before being shipped to Nigeria. It suggests Matrix Energy, a company with both upstream and downstream operations, has been importing blended low-grade petroleum products with higher-quality fuel before distributing it to the Nigerian market.
According to the leaked documents,, Adisa Aliu is the owner of Matrix Energy, one of the biggest importers of fuel through Malta.
In July 2024 alone, over 200,000 tonnes of petrol from Malta were discharged into the Matrix jetty in Warri, Delta state, according to an insider who shared the confidential documents. This represents about 25% of Nigerias monthly PMS consumption going to a relatively small player with only 150 retail stations, the insider said.
The insider further said Aliu is also leveraging his close relations with the top management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd (NNPCL) to secure crude oil cargoes from the national oil company for his company.

In an interview with newsmen however, Aliu denied any wrongdoing in his business practices.
According to a report by Stakeholder Democracy Network (SDN), a non-governmental non-profit organisation, it appears to be easy for sub-standard fuel imports to enter Nigeria., saying: So it is probable that large volumes of fuel consumed are of poor quality, causing significant damage to public health, engines, and the environment.
In 2020, SDNs research sampled official petrol imports and found average sulphur levels more than seven times the legal limit, average diesel samples more than 43 times the limit, and a few with excessive levels of other toxins.
The weakness in regulating fuel quality poses a serious health risk to those living in Nigeria. International commodity traders and Nigerian marketers are exploiting the lack of regulation to import these low-quality fuels, and improved standards and regulatory enforcement are urgently needed, SDN said.
However, reacting, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, in a statement via X yesterday, said Aliu has been in the petrol business for over 20 years, and it would be wrong to accuse him of importing bad fuel into the country.
Ajayi clarified that Aliu, as an active player in the downstream sector, had nothing to do with his membership in President Tinubus Economic Council.
The statement reads: It appears @thecableng just wants to create a storm in a teacup because I cant seem to understand the link between where Matrix Energy imports petroleum products from and the Chief Executives membership of President Tinubus Economic Council.