The Competition and Consumer Protection Tribunal (CCPT) in Abuja has issued a temporary injunction against MultiChoice Nigeria Limited, preventing them from implementing their planned tariff and price increases scheduled to commence on May 1.
The three-member tribunal, led by Saratu Shafii, granted the interim order on Monday following an ex-parte motion presented by Ejiro Awaritoma, the counsel for Festus Onifade, the applicant.
In the ruling, the tribunal directed MultiChoice to refrain from proceeding with the proposed price hike set to take effect from May 1 until the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.
Furthermore, all parties involved in the case are summoned to appear before the tribunal on May 7 at 10 a.m. for the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.
The petitioner brought a case against MultiChoice Nigeria Ltd and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) before the tribunal.
In the suit filed on April 29, Onifade, also a legal practitioner, sought two orders:
- An interim injunction restraining MultiChoice from implementing the impending price increase scheduled for May 1, 2024, until the motion on notice is heard and determined.
- An order preventing MultiChoice from taking any actions that could adversely affect the rights of the claimant and other consumers regarding the case until the motion on notice is resolved.
MultiChoice had previously raised the prices of all its packages on April 1, 2022.
