…FG to also arraign MultiChoice chairman, MD, others for allegedly breaching FCCPC Act same day
The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) will, on October 7, arraign the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Qatar Airways, Mr Temi Birdzell, the company and its top officers, over allegations bordering on breach of the FCCPC Act, 2018.
Other defendants to be arraigned before Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja, along with Birdzell, are Stella Ihediwa, the Account Manager of the airline, Kennedy Chirchir, the Country Manager, and Eva Ojeje, who is the Sales Manager of the company.
Although the arraignment was scheduled for Tuesday, the matter could not proceed. When the matter was called on Tuesday, none of the defendants was in court due to improper service of the court documents, including the hearing notice, on them.
FCCPC’s counsel, Chizenum Nsitem, who told the court of their inability to serve four of the defendants, although the company was served, sought an adjournment to enable them to do the needful, and the judge adjourned the matter till October 7 for the defendants to take their plea.
FCCPC, in the charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/200/2025, dragged Qatar Airways, Birdzell, Ihediwa, Chirchir and Ojeje to court as 1st to 5th defendants respectively.
The Qatar Airways CEO and defendants were alleged to have failed to appear before FCCPC in compliance with a lawful summons of the commission dated September 6, 2024, and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 33 (3) of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection (FCCPC) Act, 2018.
They were also accused of having on September 18, 2024, intentionally withheld the production of documents in compliance wth a lawful summons of the commission, thereby committing an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 111 of the FCCP Act, 2018.
In count three, they were alleged to have, on September 18, 2024, engaged in the contravention of the consumer rights, thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 124(1) and punishable under Section 155 of the same Act.
In the same vein, the Federal Government will, on the same day, October 7, arraign the Chairman of MultiChoice Nigeria Limited, Adewunmi Ogunsanya and the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the company, John Ugbe, over allegations bordering on breach of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act, 2018.
Justice James Omotosho fixed the date on Tuesday, after Chizenum Nsitem, counsel to the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), made the application due to the absence of the defendants in court.
Others to be arraigned alongside the duo are six top officers of the pay-TV company, including Fhulufhelo Badugela, CEO of MultiChoice Africa Holdings, Retiel Tromp, Chief Financial Officer, Africa and Keabetswe Modimoeng, Group Executive for Corporate Affairs.
They also include a director, Adebusola Bello, Fuad Ogunsanya, Gozie Onumonu, who is the Head of Regulatory Affairs and Government Relations, and the company itself.
When the matter was called on Tuesday, none of the defendants were in court due to improper service of the court documents, including the hearing notice, on them.
The prosecuting agency’s lawyer then sought an adjournment to enable them to do the needful and the judge adjourned the matter till October 7 for the defendants to take their plea.
In count one of the charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/197/2025, Multichoice Nigeria Limited was alleged to have on March 6 at No 23, Jimmy Carter Street, Asokoro, Abuja, without sufficient reason failed to appear before the FCCPC in compliance with a lawful summons issued on February 25, “and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 33 (3) of the FCCP Act, 2018.”
In court six, Ogunsanya, Ugbe and others, being directors of the company, were alleged to have on March 6 “caused MultiChoice Nigeria Limited to impede Investigation of the FCCPC by refusing to produce documents and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 110 of the FCCP Act, 2018.”
It would be recalled that MultiChoice, the operator of DStv and Gotv, had recently increased the subscription rates on its packages against an invitation by the FCCPC to give an explanation on why the company wanted to effect a price hike.
Justice Omotosho had, on May 8, dismissed the suit filed by MultiChoice seeking to stop FCCPC from taking administrative action against the company.
The judge, in a judgment, held that the suit was an abuse of court process, having been filed after a similar suit was filed on the issue by a lawyer, Festus Onifade, with Multichoice and FCCPC as parties in the suit.
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