MultiChoice Nigeria Limited and its Chief Executive Officer, CEO, Mr. John Ugbe, will be arraigned on June 19, 2025 for allegedly impeding investigation by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, FCCPC, into its Subscription Fee increase.
FCCPC through its team of lawyers led by A.W, Achimugu, filed a three-count criminal charge before the court presided over by Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke, against Multichoice and its CEO, John Ugbe.
In the charge marked FHC/L/283c/2025, FCCPC accused the digital television operators of willfully obstructing or interrupting its investigation by proceeding with the implementation of the Multichoice Subscription Fee Increase for the purpose and practical effect of pre-empting, interfering with or rendering nugatory the on-going investigations and in disregard of the directive of the Commission issued to it on February 27, 2025 to refrain from implementing the said price increase pending the conclusion of the ongoing investigations.
MultiChoice and its CEO were also accused of impeding the FCCPC’s ongoing investigation into the Subscription Fee Increase, which was implemented in defiance of the Commission’s directive to it on February 27, 2025.
They were further alleged to have misled the Commission in relation to its ongoing investigation by pre-emptively announcing and proceeding to implement the said Subscription Fee increase before the Commission’s investigative hearing in defiance of the Commission’s directive which refrained the company from implementing the proposed Subscription Fee Increase, pending the conclusion of the its ongoing investigation, and without raising any objection to the said directive.
They were alleged to commit the alleged infractions on March 1, 2025 at the company’s head office located at Plot 1381, Tiamiyu Savage Street, Victoria Island, Lagos.
Their actions according to the FCCPC are contrary to Section 33 (4); 110 and 159(2) of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act, 2018, and punishable under Section 159(4)(a)(b) of the same Act.
When the matter came up on March 14, 2025, there was no representative from the prosecuting agency. Also, the defendants were not in court.
Consequently, Justice Aneke adjourned the matter to June 19, for the arraignment of Multichoice and its CEO.
The charges against the digital television operators read:
- That you, Multichoice Nigeria Limited (“Multichoice”) and John Ugbe, on March 1, 2025 at the MultiChoice head office located at Plot 1381 Tiamiyu Savage Street, Victoria Island, Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did willfully obstruct or interrupt with the proceedings of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (“Commission”) by proceeding with the implementation of the Multichoice Subscription Fee Increase for the purpose and practical effect of pre-empting, interfering with or rendering nugatory the on-going investigations and in disregard of the directive of the Commission issued to you on February 27, 2025 to refrain from implementing the said price increase pending the conclusion of the Commission’s ongoing investigations and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 33 (4) of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act, 2018.
- That you, Multichoice Nigeria Limited (“Multichoice”) and John Ugbe, on March 1, 2025 at the MultiChoice head office located at Plot 1381 Tiamiyu Savage Street, Victoria Island, Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did impede the ongoing investigation of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (“Commission”) into Multichoice’s Subscription Fee Increase, which was implemented in defiance of the Commission’s directive issued to you on February 27, 2025 requiring you to refrain from implementing the proposed price hike, pending the conclusion of the Commission’s ongoing investigation, and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 110 of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act, 2018.
- That you, Multichoice Nigeria Limited (“Multichoice”) and John Ugbe, on March 1, 2025 at the MultiChoice head office located at Plot 1381 Tiamiyu Savage Street, Victoria Island, Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did attempt to deceive or knowingly mislead the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (“Commission”) in relation to the Commission’s ongoing investigation into Multichoice’s Subscription Fee Increase by pre-emptively announcing and proceeding to implement the said Subscription Fee increase before the Commission’s investigative hearing in defiance of the Commission’s directive issued to you on February 27, 2025, requiring you to refrain from implementing the proposed Subscription Fee Increase, pending the conclusion of the Commission’s ongoing investigation, and without raising any objection to the said directive; and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 159(2) of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act, 2018 and punishable under Section 159(4) (a) and (b) of the same Act.”