Telcos sue Reps over service quality probe, arrest threats against CEOs

The Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) and four major operators have sued the House of Representatives over its service quality probe and threats to arrest their chief executives, TheCable reported.

ALTON, MTN Nigeria, Airtel Networks, Globacom and 9mobile filed the suit, FHC/ABJ/CS/2713/2026, at a Federal High Court in Abuja on November 4. The House, its Speaker and Clerk, and the Inspector-General of Police are defendants.

The operators want the court to determine whether the House can constitutionally investigate private companies’ service quality in a manner that “duplicates or interferes with the regulatory responsibilities of the NCC.”

They are seeking orders setting aside the October 29 summonses and restraining the Speaker from issuing arrest warrants and the police from executing them.

The committee had threatened arrest warrants after the CEOs failed to appear. On Wednesday, it rejected ALTON chairman Gbenga Adebayo’s attempt to represent them.

The plaintiffs said some of the requested documents contained commercially sensitive and confidential information.