Matrix Energy Limited, a Nigerian oil company, has initiated legal action against two media houses for defamation.
The company demands ₦20 billion in damages, arguing that recent reports wrongly link it to importing low-grade fuel from Malta.
Matrix Energy Limited and its CEO, Alhaji Abdulkadir Adisa Aliu filed legal suits in the Federal Capital Territory High Court.
The company and Aliu, as plaintiffs in cases CV/3718/2024 and CV/3719/2024, are challenging reports they claim are defamatory.
Their lawyer, Ahmed Raji, SAN, has filed a suit to prevent the media houses from publishing more damaging content.
The company and its CEO are demanding ₦10 billion each in damages and ₦200 million for legal costs.
The controversy began with a report titled “From Russia to Malta: How Matrix Energy Imports Dirty Petrol.”
The report alleged that the company was importing low-grade fuel from Malta, a country without known oil refineries.
The plaintiffs vehemently deny these allegations, arguing that the reports, published on August 17, 2024, are false, malicious, and libelous.
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In their suit, they ask the court to declare the publications defamatory and order the media houses to remove the content.
They also want a full retraction and an unreserved apology from the defendants.
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Additionally, the plaintiffs are seeking a permanent injunction to prevent further defamatory statements.
The plaintiffs assert that the reports not only misrepresented them but also painted a harmful picture of their business practices.
They argue that the media coverage deliberately suggested their involvement in a conspiracy.
The reports claim they worked with economic enemies to smuggle substandard fuel into Nigeria.
They claim that the portrayal aimed to damage their reputation and undermine public trust in their company.
Matrix Energy Limited had previously addressed these allegations in a statement issued by their spokesman, Ibrahim Akinola.
In that statement, the company firmly denied any connection to the importation of substandard fuel from Malta.
They stressed that the claims in the reports were baseless and incorrect.
They also emphasized their commitment to maintaining high standards in their operations and ensuring the quality of the fuel they supply.
