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The Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed October 7, 2025, for the arraignment of Adewunmi Ogunsanya, Chairman of MultiChoice Nigeria Limited, and John Ugbe, the company’s Managing Director/CEO, over alleged violations of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA), 2018.
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Justice James Omotosho scheduled the arraignment following an application by Chizenum Nsitem, counsel for the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), who noted that the defendants were absent in court.
Alongside Ogunsanya and Ugbe, six other top executives of the Pay-TV giant will also be arraigned. These include:
- Fhulufhelo Badugela, CEO of MultiChoice Africa Holdings
- Retiel Tromp, Chief Financial Officer for Africa
- Keabetswe Modimoeng, Group Executive, Corporate Affairs
- Adebusola Bello, Director
- Fuad Ogunsanya
- Gozie Onumonu, Head of Regulatory Affairs and Government Relations
The company itself, MultiChoice Nigeria Limited, is also listed as a defendant in the charge.
Charges stem from MultiChoice’s recent subscription price hike
According to court documents (Charge No: FHC/ABJ/CR/197/2025), filed on May 26, the accused face seven counts. One of the charges alleges that on March 6, the company willfully failed to honour a summons issued on February 25 by the FCCPC, an offence punishable under Section 33 (3) of the FCCP Act, 2018.
The charges stem from MultiChoice’s recent subscription price increase for DStv and GOtv services. The FCCPC had summoned the company to explain the rationale behind the March 1 price adjustment, citing concerns over frequent hikes, potential abuse of market dominance, and anti-competitive practices in Nigeria’s Pay-TV sector.
Despite the commission’s directive for the company’s CEO to appear for an investigative hearing on February 27, MultiChoice reportedly failed to comply, prompting legal action.
In response, MultiChoice filed a suit seeking a court injunction to restrain the FCCPC from enforcing its regulatory threats, citing a letter from the commission dated March 3.
The case marks a critical test of Nigeria’s regulatory framework for consumer protection and market fairness in the media and entertainment industry.
