The Federal Government will on October 7 arraign Adewunmi Ogunsanya, Chairman of MultiChoice Nigeria Limited, and John Ugbe, Managing Director/CEO of the company, over alleged breaches of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act, FCCP Act, 2018.
Justice James Omotosho fixed the date on Tuesday following an application by Chizenum Nsitem, counsel for the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, FCCPC, due to the absence of the defendants in court.
Also scheduled for arraignment are six senior executives of the pay-TV company, including Fhulufhelo Badugela, CEO, MultiChoice Africa Holdings, Retiel Tromp, CFO, Africa, Keabetswe Modimoeng, Group Executive, Corporate Affairs, Adebusola Bello, Director, Fuad Ogunsanya, and Gozie Onumonu, Head of Regulatory Affairs and Government Relations, along with the company itself.
READ ALSO:MultiChoice unveils weekly DStv, GOtv packages
When the case was called, none of the defendants was present due to improper service of court documents, including hearing notices. The prosecution then sought an adjournment, which was granted, with the case now scheduled for October 7 for the defendants to enter their pleas.
The News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in a statement said, the charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/197/2025, dated and filed May 26, includes seven counts. MultiChoice Nigeria Limited is the 1st defendant, while Ogunsanya, Ugbe, Badugela, Tromp, Modimoeng, Bello, Fuad Ogunsanya, and Onumonu are the 2nd to 9th defendants.
Count one alleges that MultiChoice Nigeria failed to appear before the FCCPC on March 6, at its office on Jimmy Carter Street, Asokoro, Abuja, despite a lawful summons issued on February 25, an offence under Section 33, 3, of the FCCP Act.
In count six, Ogunsanya, Ugbe, and others are accused of causing the company to obstruct the FCCPC investigation by failing to produce required documents, in violation of Section 110 of the Act.
This development follows a recent subscription price hike by MultiChoice on its DStv and GOtv platforms, which prompted FCCPC intervention. The commission had invited the company to explain the rationale for the hike but claimed it failed to comply.
Justice Omotosho had earlier, on May 8, dismissed a suit filed by MultiChoice to stop the FCCPC from initiating administrative actions, declaring the suit an abuse of court process due to a similar ongoing case filed by lawyer Festus Onifade.
The FCCPC had summoned MultiChoice to justify the March 1 price increase and warned that failure to provide a valid explanation or comply with fair market practices could lead to regulatory sanctions.
NAN
