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REVEALED: Vessels Allegedly linked to Dangote’s brother to deliver imported fuel from Malta amid billionaire’s row with NNPC
REVEALED: Vessels Allegedly linked to Dangote’s brother to deliver imported fuel from Malta amid billionaire’s row with NNPC
Sahara Weekly Reports That Two Lagos-bound vessels linked to family members and friends of Dangote Refinery CEO Aliko Dangote are on course to deliver cargoes of imported premium motor spirit (PMS), also known as petrol, from Malta, POLITICS NIGERIA can authoritatively report after reviewing a cache of documents including maritime tracking details.
This development comes weeks after Dangote’s shocking now-debunked allegations blaming others about the importation of low-quality fuel from the European country. The billionaire, who had earlier accused Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) of sabotaging his refinery, said that some NNPCL officials were importing substandard petrol products into the country from a blending facility in Malta. This claim was later proven to be false.
Although NNPCL officially refuted and debunked Dangote’s claims saying that neither NNPCL nor its officials owned a blending, publicly available data however showed that Nigeria’s petroleum imports from Malta went as high as $2.8 billion last year. One of the local energy companies, Matrix Energy, was allegedly claimed as one of the firms importing substandard petroleum products from Malta by Businessday Nigeria – a claim the company has rebuffed with evidence and instituted a N10billion defamation suit against Businessday and another newspaper for alleging its products were substandard and didn’t meet regulatory threshold. As at the time of filing this report, the case is currently in court.
North and South
However, fresh evidence has also shown that Dangote’s family members and circle of friends in the petroleum sector might be among the top importers of PMS from Malta. Credible maritime data corroborated by industry experts showed that at least two other cargoes connected to his family member and an associate are expected to arrive on the shores of Nigeria on September 7.
One of the vessels ferrying the cargo, Meronas, belongs to MRS Oil & Gas Company, a subsidiary of MRS Holdings Limited owned by Dangote’s half-brother Sayyu Dantata.
The vessel, currently sailing under the flag of Greece, departed Malta on August 22 and is scheduled to arrive Lagos on September 7, according to AIS data provided on vessel tracking website, Vessel Finder.
Another Oil tanker vessel from Malta, Clean Justice will be delivering a cargo of PMS to Eyrie Energy, an Abuja-based company founded by a board director at MRS, Amina Maina.
Maina, according to MRS Group’s website, oversees all trading, supply, and operations of the group’s activities spanning over six countries, including Nigeria. Apart from her role at MRS, is also a close associate of Mr Dangote. In fact, both Maina and Dangote were part of the Economic Coordination Council (PECC) set up by President Bola Tinubu at the start of his administration.
Both MRS and Eyrie Energy are part of a network of local and international energy companies supplying PMS to NNPC while it has been widely revealed that officials of MRS are currently representing and leading negotiations with the Ministry of Finance on behalf of Dangote Refinery in the Federal Government’s Crude for Naira programme.
According to a March 4th letter, the General Manager of Risk Management, MRS, wrote to the NNPCL managing director, submitting shipping documents for a petroleum product delivery from Malta OPL.
The letter also referenced attached original documents including a letter from supplier; bill of loading; certificate of quantity; certificate of quality before loading; certificate of quality after loading; master receipt; notice of readiness load port; vessel survey report before and after loading; ullage report before and after loading; bunker survey report (fuel oil & diesel oil); cargo pumping log; time log and VEF.
While it is not immediately clear if Dangote is aware of his half-brother company’s involvement in Malta importation, an industry source told POLITICS NIGERIA that it is ‘hypocritical’ for the billionaire to “shield his own” while pretending to expose others.
“Dangote knows that refiners margin is currently low and he won’t be able to sell and compete with other suppliers to NNPCL, he needs to control who sells to NNPC and also control the price they sell to NNPC.
Another Industry Expert, Dr. James Oyekunle, speaking on the development, wondered if there was more to this entire issue as he observed that there could be a political undertone.
“It is difficult to ignore as most of the companies targeted have mostly been owned or operated by southerners or affiliated with international companies whilst key marketers from the north seem to be missing from these negative attacks.”
How Malta became Nigeria’s favourite import destination
Little have been reported about Nigeria’s import from Malta until Dangote’s revelation. This perhaps could be as a result of the measly amounts recorded in past years. For instance the value of imports from Malta stood at $13.32 million in 2016, which is significantly low when compared with $2.8 billion recorded in 2023. This however changed after a 2020 Cash for Crude deal which international oil trading company, Vitol, and indigenous marketer, Matrix Enegry, provided Nigeria with a badly needed cash advance in return for Nigerian crude to be refined and blended elsewhere and imported into Nigeria as PMS. Malta was one of their chosen blending destination amongst others.
In 2023, two foreign oil companies, LITASCO and Pontus SA wrote to the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), seeking approval of Malta as one of the load port locations that imports can originate from.
Sources familiar with the moves told POLITICS NIGERIA that as part of its newly defined regulatory responsibilities under Nigeria’s recently signed Petroleum Industry Act, the NMDPRA sent its staff to visit and inspect the blending plants and an approval was issued by the regulator afterwards.
“PMS used in Nigeria can’t be produced straight from refineries but rather blended to meet Nigeria grade, even at the refineries, they blend in their tanks to meet these specifications which are standard globally. Even all fuel coming from Amsterdam, Antwerp, Rotterdam, fujairah are all blended to achieve the required grade and specifications of PMS,” said an industry source.
“Given the recent revelations, accusations both true and false, and counter-accusations, it is important for all parties to approach the ongoing fuel importation and refinery discussions with openness and responsibility.”
“Dangote’s concerns about the integrity of fuel imports from Malta though now debunked, coupled with the involvement of his close associates and family members in similar operations, casts an uncanny light on the cutthroat operations of the oil industry.”
“As more information comes to light, it is important for industry regulators and authorities to ensure that accountability is upheld without bias and consumers are protected, regardless of one’s standing or connections.”, he said.
More than ₦3 billion was targeted, but about ₦677 million reached the culprits, with recovery and prosecutions underway, reflecting how banks are responding to more sophisticated fraud risks.
Nigeria’s expanding digital banking sector is facing increasingly sophisticated fraud attempts, as financial institutions adapt to faster transactions and broader online services.
A recent case involving First City Monument Bank (FCMB), linked to fraudulent activity detected in December 2025, has drawn attention to how banks are responding to such incidents, with a focus on limiting exposure, recovering funds and working with law enforcement.
According to findings referenced in proceedings before the Lagos State Special Offences Court, the incident involved unauthorised transactions tied to a digital product. Early reports erroneously suggested more than ₦3 billion was lost. Subsequent clarification shows that over ₦3 billion was targeted, ₦2.4 billion was blocked and recovered, while ₦677 million got into the possession of the culprits. This outcome reflects the bank’s cyber security and monitoring capabilities, as well as improved collaboration among regulated financial institutions and with law enforcement agencies. Several suspects and beneficiaries have been apprehended, while recovery and prosecution efforts are ongoing, led by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Proceedings at the Lagos State Special Offences Court have resulted in convictions, including that of a repeat offender, with restitution orders issued. Related matters are also being handled at the Federal High Court in Lagos, where additional suspects are being tried in connection with the scheme. This process is aimed at ensuring that bad actors are identified and permanently blacklisted from the financial system.
Authorities say recovery efforts are continuing as additional funds are traced.
Analysts note that the pace of legal action reflects closer coordination between financial institutions and enforcement agencies in addressing cyber-related financial crime.
The case comes as banks contend with more complex fraud methods, including social engineering and automated exploitation of system processes.
As digital products and platforms expand, so too does the risk associated with cyber-crime and related fraud.
“The scale of digital banking means risks are evolving alongside the systems,” said a Lagos-based financial analyst. “Institutions are now judged by how they manage these events.”
Observers say the sector is moving toward a stronger focus on response and recovery, rather than prevention alone.
This includes improving monitoring capabilities, strengthening transaction controls and enhancing collaboration with regulators and law enforcement. The FCMB case, with limited exposure relative to the amount targeted and ongoing recovery, reflects that shift.
For customers, the primary concern is the safety of their funds. In this case, there has been no indication of losses affecting customer deposits. Maintaining that level of protection remains central to sustaining trust in the financial system.
Nigeria’s financial sector continues to grow, supported by digital innovation and expanding access to banking services.
However, analysts say fraud attempts are likely to persist as systems become more complex and interconnected.
They say institutions will increasingly be judged not only on their ability to prevent incidents, but on how effectively they respond and recover when they occur.
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Ex-APC Deputy Guber flag bearer, Joshua MacIver backs Tinubu, express fears over implosion in Bayelsa APC
….congratulates new State Party Chairman, Warman Ogoriba
APC Deputy Governorship Candidate in the 2023 general elections in Bayelsa State, Great Joshua MacIver has declared his total commitment to the re-election of President Bola Tinubu come 2027, declaring that the Tinubu re-election project is non-negotiable.
Great Joshua MacIver, in his statement titled ” BAYELSA APC CONGRESSES: GOING FORWARD, A CALL TO LOOK INWARDS” and made available to newsmen in Yenagoa, warned APC leaders in the state to look Inward and take note of certain factors which may hinder or cut short our victory.
According to Great Joshua MacIver, such noticeable pitfalls include the imbalance in the united front being put up by the State Governor,Senator Douye Diri among various political blocs in the state.
In the statement issued at the weekend. Great Joshua MacIver stated that “First, before His Excellency, Senator Douye Diri, joined the APC in the state, there were clearly two political blocs that made up the party, with the approximate population ratios of the blocs standing at 95% to 5%.”
“After the entrance of His Excellency, Senator Douye Diri, ONLY THE SMALLER BLOC IS BEING CARRIED ALONG IN THE AFFAIRS OF THE PARTY, leaving the greater percentage to their fate, and this situation has the potential to build anger and dissatisfaction in our dear party.”
” The consequence of this has been the high level defection we have witnessed in the party recently and we believe more may likely follow, if we do not put our house in order.”
” If we do not pull together as a party, we may witness a situation where we will lose key stakeholders, especially after the State and National Assembly Primaries as well the Gubernatorial Primaries.”
“Finally, while it is very clear that we are the party to beat in the 2027 elections and that our loyalty to Mr. President IS NON-NEGOTIABLE, we must make haste to say that we cannot afford to create situations or loopholes in our unity which will be exploited by other political interests in the state. We cannot afford to under-rate anyone.”
“Our core interest remains the re-election of Mr. President, a project to which we have committed our all. We also pledge our total loyalty to the party as we have no alternative to the APC. However, our concern is that we must, as a party, look inwards and ensure that we do not create loopholes that can impede our common goal.”
Great Joshua MacIver, however congratulated the newly elected State Executives of the APC in Bayelsà State led by Hon. Warman Ogoriba, saying their emergence is welcomed at this critical time in our national history.
At least 23 people were killed in a series of suspected suicide bombings, police in Nigeria’s northeastern city of Maiduguri said on Tuesday.
https://www.stanbicibtcbank.com/nigeriabank/personal/products-and-services/all-loans/stanbic-ibtc-mreif-home-loans
More than 100 other people were injured in the blasts that took place on Monday evening in the capital of Nigeria’s restive Borno state.
No group has claimed responsibility for the suspected attacks.
The deadly blasts come after a military post was attacked overnight Sunday to Monday, which authorities blamed on suspected Islamist militants.
This sad incident is coming barely two weeks after Primate Elijah Ayodele, the Leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church specifically warned against attacks in some states. He mentioned these states while calling on security operatives to pay close attention to them.
These were his words:
“Another attack is coming up in these following states where the military must watch carefully and intelligently; Kano, Kaduna, Zamfara, Kebbi, Niger, Borno, Kwara and Kogi state. They want to do a deadly attack, it’s preventable but it depends on how they will handle it. I have told you about the danger coming up.”
@primateayodele
Unfortunately, some of our military agencies don’t believe spiritual intelligence can save the country from so much danger hence, their neglect of this prophetic warning but now, it has been fulfilled with the miliary losing credibility by the day while Primate Ayodele continues to gain momentum.
Likewise, At least 26 passengers and crew sustained varying degrees of injuries on Monday following an accident involving the Kaduna–Abuja train, according to the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC).
Opeifa explained that the train departed Rigasa in Kaduna at 7:15 a.m. and was approaching Asham station around 9:16 a.m. when a loud bang was heard after the power car and trailing locomotive collided with one of the passenger coaches.
In July 2025, Primate Ayodele asked nigerians to pray not to see train mishap on the Kaduna-Abuja route.
@primateayodele #nigeriantiktok🇳🇬 #fulfillment #train #abuja #primateayodele
“Let’s pray not to see train mishap in Abuja-Kaduna, Kaduna-Abuja route.”
This has also been fulfilled.
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