FG Moves to Withdraw Case Against MTN Nigeria CEO Karl Toriola, Others

FG has moved to withdraw case against MTN Nigeria CEO Karl Toriola, among others.

 

NewsOnline Nigeria reports that the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has filed a notice to withdraw its case against MTN Nigeria Communications Plc’s Managing Director/CEO, Karl Toriola, and other top executives over alleged breaches of the FCCPC Act.

The notice of withdrawal, signed by FCCPC counsel Nsitem Chizenum, was submitted to the Federal High Court, Abuja.

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The executives, including Tobechukwu Okigbo, MTN’s Chief Corporate Services and Sustainability Officer, and Ikenna Ikeme, General Manager, Regulatory Affairs, were earlier accused of failing to comply with a lawful summons to produce documents requested by the Commission in June 2024.

The two-count charge, filed in July 2024, alleged that their refusal to submit the required documents impeded an ongoing FCCPC inquiry, in violation of Section 33(3) of the FCCPC Act, 2018.

However, ahead of the scheduled arraignment, the Commission opted to discontinue the case, citing provisions of Sections 107 and 108 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, which empower prosecutors to withdraw charges at any stage before judgment.

“Take notice that the complainant doth hereby wholly withdraw the charge and discontinue the proceedings against the defendants,” the FCCPC stated in its filing.

The case, initially set for hearing on Thursday, was adjourned to October 30, 2025, as presiding Justice Hauwa Yilwa was unavailable. The withdrawal notice is expected to be formally adopted by the prosecution on the adjourned date.

This is not the first time MTN’s CEO has faced legal disputes in court. In May 2024, the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) also accused Toriola and MTN of copyright infringement over alleged unauthorized use of soundtracks as caller tunes, a case still before the Federal High Court.