FCCPC Withdraws Criminal Charge Against MultiChoice Nigeria After Amicable Settlement
The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) on Tuesday formally withdrew the criminal charge it had filed against MultiChoice Nigeria Limited and some of its senior executives, following confirmation by both parties that the dispute had been amicably resolved.
At the resumed proceedings before Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, FCCPC’s counsel, Mr. Daniel Amadi, informed the court that a notice of withdrawal had been filed on August 16, pursuant to the settlement reached between the regulator and the company.
“The matter is for hearing, but we have filed a notice of withdrawal on August 16. Parties have settled and we agree to withdraw this suit,” Amadi told the court. Defence counsel, Ms. Rolake Akingbola, did not oppose the application, and Justice Omotosho accordingly struck out the charge.
The arraignment had earlier been fixed for June 24, with the company and its senior officers facing allegations of breaching provisions of the FCCPC Act, 2018. The charge was marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/197/2025.
The defendants listed in the suit included Mr. Adewunmi Ogunsanya, Chairman of MultiChoice Nigeria Limited; Mr. John Ugbe, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer; Ms. Fhulufhelo Badugela, CEO of MultiChoice Africa Holdings; Mr. Retiel Tromp, Chief Financial Officer, Africa; and Dr. Keabetswe Modimoeng, Group Executive for Corporate Affairs.
Also joined were Ms. Adebusola Bello, a director; Mr. Fuad Ogunsanya; Mr. Gozie Onumonu, Head of Regulatory Affairs and Government Relations; and the company itself. They were jointly charged with seven counts.
In count one, MultiChoice Nigeria was alleged to have failed, without sufficient reason, to appear before the FCCPC on March 6 in compliance with a lawful summons issued on February 25, thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 33(3) of the FCCPC Act, 2018. In count six, Ogunsanya, Ugbe, and others were accused of impeding the Commission’s investigation by refusing to produce requested documents, contrary to Section 110 of the Act.
The dispute arose after MultiChoice, operators of DStv and GOtv, announced a subscription price increase on March 1. The FCCPC had summoned the company’s chief executive to appear for an investigative hearing on February 27, citing concerns over frequent price hikes, possible abuse of market dominance, and anti‑competitive practices. The Commission warned that failure to justify the adjustment could attract regulatory sanctions.
MultiChoice, however, filed a separate suit seeking to restrain the FCCPC from taking administrative action against it. Justice Omotosho, in a ruling delivered on May 8, dismissed the suit as an abuse of court process, noting that a similar action had already been instituted by lawyer Festus Onifade with both MultiChoice and the FCCPC as parties.
