By Kenny Folowosele, Abuja
Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja yesterday adjourned to July 10, 2024, for further mention in a suit challenging unjust and unfair subscription rates by MultiChoice Nigeria Limited against Nigerian customers.
The suit was instituted by an Abuja-based legal activist, Maduabuchi Idam.
In the suit, he is asking for an award of N85m against MultiChoice Nigeria Limited for oppressive, gross extortion, and unwarranted exploitation of customers through its unjust subscription and unfair trade tactics in Nigeria.
At the hearing, both the plaintiff Maduabuchi Idam, and the defendants MultiChoice Nigeria Limited, Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, National Broadcasting Commission, and Attorney General of the Federation were represented by their lawyers.
Justice Ekwo asked the defendant’s lawyers whether they have filed their respective response to the plaintiff’s claim and they said no, that they are within time to respond.
The judge subsequently adjourned till July 10 to give enough time for responses.
In the Court Process marked FHC/ABJ/ CS/ 562/2024 filed on April 29 the Plaintiff asked the Court to compel Multi-Choice to “regulate or meter its decoder to read customer’s subscription only per view or during viewing.”
He prayed for an order compelling the 1st Defendant to forthwith, regulate or meter its decoder to read the customer’s subscription only per view or during viewing.
Idam, a customer of Multi-Choice Television Networks Service Provider is further praying to the court for an award of the sum of N80m only as general damages and N5m as cost of litigation against the company for “its several years of extortion and violation of the Plaintiff’s right as provided by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act, 2018.”
He further prayed for an order compelling the 1st Defendant to forthwith, regulate or meter its decoder to read the customer’s subscription only per view or during viewing.
A further order compelling the 1st Defendant to upon expiration of the Plaintiff’s subscription duration to roll over the unused subscription to enable the Plaintiff and other customers in Nigeria to maximize their money spent on the 1st Defendant’s product.
An order of Mandamus compelling the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th defendants to consequently direct every other TV Network provider in Nigeria to Regulate or meter their subscription to read per view or during viewing and roll over unused subscriptions after the expiration of the 2024 04 3012:51 duration.
