Recent findings have shed light on the companies and individuals involved in the importation of substandard petroleum products from Malta into Nigeria. Notably, Sayyu Dantata, the half-brother of Aliko Dangote, President of the Dangote Group, has been identified as one of the importers through his company, MRS Oil and Gas......Read The Full Article>>.....Read The Full Article>>
In July, Aliko Dangote publicly accused certain officials within the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited and oil traders of operating blending plants in Malta, where they produce off-spec petroleum products that are then imported into Nigeria. These products, he claimed, are of inferior quality compared to those produced at the Dangote Refinery, which boasts a production capacity of 650,000 to 700,000 barrels per day (bpd).
Dangote emphasized the subpar quality of the imported fuel, which he argued is causing damage to vehicles across the country. He alleged that these inferior products are brought into Nigeria under the guise of fake certificates, facilitated by some individuals within the NNPC and unscrupulous traders.
Documents obtained by DAILY NIGERIAN have confirmed that MRS Oil and Gas, led by Sayyu Dantata as the founder and CEO, is one of the companies importing fuel from Malta. Other key figures at MRS Oil and Gas include Aisha Dantata, Abdu Dantata, Patrice Alberti (GMD), Amina Maina (GCOO), and Mohammed Dantata.
According to these documents, MRS Oil and Gas imported a significant shipment of fuel into Nigeria in February 2024 via the vessel MT AETHER. In letters dated March 4, 2024, addressed to the CEO of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and the CEO of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), MRS Oil and Gas confirmed the purchase of 91,219.232 metric tons (Mt Vac) of unleaded gasoline 91 Ron from PETROCAM DMCC. The product was loaded at the port of OPL Malta onto the vessel MT AETHER.
The letters, signed by Moyosola Kuku, the general manager of risk management at MRS Oil and Gas, also confirmed that the entire cargo was sold to the NNPC for delivery offshore Lagos.
Despite these revelations, attempts to obtain a response from MRS Oil and Gas have been unsuccessful. Phone numbers listed on the company’s website were not connecting, and text messages sent to the company have not been answered at the time of this report.
These developments highlight significant concerns about the integrity of fuel supplies in Nigeria and the potential involvement of high-profile individuals and companies in the importation of substandard petroleum products, which may be contributing to widespread damage to vehicles and other infrastructure in the country. The involvement of prominent figures and the implications of such actions are likely to prompt further investigations and public scrutiny.
