MTN Nigeria CEO, Toriola, Top Executives Face Court Over Alleged Obstruction, Repeated Evasion
The Chief Executive Officer of MTN Nigeria Communications Plc, Mr Karl Toriola, alongside senior executives of the telecoms giant, will be arraigned on September 25 before the Federal High Court in Abuja over serious allegations of obstructing an investigation by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC).
The charges, filed under suit number FHC/ABJ/CR/354/2024, accuse Toriola, Mr Tobechukwu Okigbo, Chief Corporate Services and Sustainability Officer, and Mr Ikenna Ikeme, General Manager, Regulatory Affairs, of deliberately defying lawful requests by the FCCPC to produce critical documents and information needed for an ongoing investigation. The company itself is also listed as a defendant.
At Tuesday’s hearing, the FCCPC’s counsel, Nsitem Chizenum, informed the court that the defendants were yet again absent and had continued to evade service of the court processes, despite repeated attempts — including by court bailiffs — to serve them. He also disclosed that the Commission had enlisted the support of the Nigeria Police Force to ensure their appearance in court.
According to the two-count charge filed by the FCCPC on July 22, 2024, the defendants had “on or about June 18, 2024,” blatantly refused to comply with a lawful summons and intentionally impeded the FCCPC’s statutory investigation, in direct violation of Section 33(3) of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act, 2018.
Justice Hauwa Yilwa, after confirming the absence of both the defendants and any legal representation on their behalf, adjourned the matter to September 25 for arraignment.
This is not the first time Toriola has been accused of evading the judicial process. In May 2024, the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) similarly accused him of avoiding court service in a copyright infringement case (FHC/ABJ/CR/111/2024). That suit involves allegations that MTN Nigeria, along with other parties, used copyrighted ringtones without permission, in violation of the Copyright Act.
With two federal agencies now accusing MTN Nigeria’s CEO of evasion and non-compliance, the telecoms heavyweight faces mounting legal pressure and potential reputational damage as regulatory scrutiny intensifies.
About The Author
