Activist sues Buhari, others on MTN fine reduction

A human rights activist and constitutional lawyer, Edward Omaga, has filed a suit against President Muhammadu Buhari and four others over what he called “illegal reduction of fine imposed on MTN.        The suit was filed before Justice Abdulkadir Kafarati of the Federal High Court, Abuja. It listed President Muhammadu Buhari, the Attorney-General of the […]

A human rights activist and constitutional lawyer, Edward Omaga, has filed a suit against President Muhammadu Buhari and four others over what he called “illegal reduction of fine imposed on MTN.
       The suit was filed before Justice Abdulkadir Kafarati of the Federal High Court, Abuja. It listed President Muhammadu Buhari, the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN), the Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and MTN Nigeria Communications Limited as defendants.
Omaga through his counsel, John Oboh, is seeking amongst other reliefs “an order of court to set aside the illegal reduction of the fine imposed on MTN and compelling Nigerian Communications Commission to revoke the operating licence of MTN for failing to pay the imposed fine totaling N1.04 trillion as at the deadline of 31st December, 2015.”
Dayo Apata entered appearance for President Buhari and Henrietta Nsa Ekeng entered appearance for the Attorney-General of the Federation. Hassan Abdulrahman is representing NCC while Wole Olanipekun (SAN) is acting for MTN Nigeria Communications Limited.
As at 18th August, counsels to the 1st, 2nd and 4th defendants have filed Notices of Preliminary Objection challenging jurisdiction of the Court. The suit is slated for hearing on 29th September, 2016.
Oboh submitted that his client lost his cousin, Boniface Okwoli and a law firm in Kaduna to insurgency to which he accused MTN of complacency by allowing over 5.2 million unregistered SIM cards to remain active beyond the time frame given by the NCC.
He said “facts unearthed by security agencies suggested that these unregistered SIM cards have been used to facilitate activities of the dreaded Boko Haram sect which led to the killing of over 10,000 innocent Nigerians hence the fine of N1.04trn levied by NCC on MTN Nigeria to which the federal government illegally reduced to N330bn with the grace of installmental payment till 2020.”