A Nigerian court has struck out criminal proceedings against MultiChoice Nigeria Limited and its senior officials after the pay-TV operator and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) settled their dispute.
The FCCPC’s lawyer, Daniel Amadi, told Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday that the commission had filed a notice of withdrawal after both parties resolved the matter. Defence counsel Rolake Akingbola did not oppose the request, leading the judge to strike out the suit.
The case, filed in June, had accused MultiChoice and top executives of breaching sections of the FCCPC Act 2018 by failing to honour a regulatory summons and obstructing investigations. Those listed as defendants included company chairman Adewunmi Ogunsanya, managing director John Ugbe, MultiChoice Africa Holdings CEO Fhulufhelo Badugela and other executives.
The charges were linked to the company’s decision to raise subscription prices in March, which the FCCPC argued could reflect anti-competitive behaviour and abuse of dominance in Nigeria’s pay-TV market.
MultiChoice had earlier sought to restrain the regulator from taking enforcement action, but its application was dismissed in May.
The settlement brings an end to one of the most high-profile regulatory disputes in Nigeria’s media industry in recent years.
