Reps threaten arrest warrants for telecom CEOs

By Gift ChapiOdekina, Abuja

The House of Representatives has threatened to issue arrest warrants against chief executives of telecommunications companies over their failure to honour invitations to explain persistent poor network services across the country.

The warning followed the rejection on Wednesday by the House Ad Hoc Committee investigating telecommunications service quality of an attempt by the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) to represent the affected companies through its chairman, Engr. Gbenga Adebayo.

The committee, chaired by Rep. Olumide Osoba (APC, Ogun), directed the chief executives and top management officials of MTN Nigeria, Airtel Nigeria, Globacom, Mafab Communications and other affected operators to appear before it on November 4, 2026, or risk arrest warrants.

The lawmakers expressed displeasure with the operators’ decision to delegate Adebayo to represent them, insisting that each company must personally account for its service delivery and address complaints from millions of subscribers.

The committee had initially invited the operators on October 21 to explain persistent complaints of dropped calls, slow internet connectivity, failed airtime and data transactions, and inadequate network coverage.

Moving a motion on the matter, Rep. Sunday Umeha argued that the telecommunications companies were individually licensed by the Federal Government and could not rely on their membership of an industry association to avoid direct accountability before the legislature.

He also faulted a letter reportedly written by ALTON questioning the committee’s authority to compel the operators to appear, describing the association’s position as inconsistent with the constitutional responsibilities of the National Assembly.

“I was shocked with what I saw in the letter. I saw a situation where ALTON is saying that they are not bound to appear before this committee. They see their appearance as a privilege to this committee and not as a statutory obligation,” Umeha said.

Citing Section 88 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, the lawmaker maintained that the National Assembly had the authority to investigate matters within its legislative competence, including the implementation of government policies affecting telecommunications services.

He insisted that the committee was not bound by ALTON’s internal arrangements and that the operators must appear individually unless the lawmakers expressly accepted an authorised representative.

A representative of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) reinforced the committee’s position, confirming that the commission had communicated the invitations directly to the chief executives of the affected companies.

The confirmation further angered the lawmakers, who said the operators had received adequate notice and sufficient opportunities to honour the invitations.

Umeha recalled that the committee had considered a motion to seek the executives’ arrest at its previous sitting but agreed to give them another opportunity to appear.

He said the operators had again failed to attend despite additional communication facilitated through the NCC.

Seconding the motion, House spokesman Rep. Akin Rotimi Jr. criticised ALTON’s attempt to speak on behalf of the operators, arguing that subscribers dealt directly with individual service providers and should be able to hold each company accountable for its network performance.

Rotimi raised concerns about poor network coverage in parts of his constituency in Ekiti State, warning that the absence of mobile signals in some communities and along major roads posed security risks.

He alleged that two traditional rulers in his constituency had been killed in an ambush along a road where mobile network signals were unavailable for about 20 minutes.

According to him, connectivity gaps could prevent residents and travellers from contacting security agencies or seeking emergency assistance when confronted with danger.

The lawmaker also accused telecommunications operators of concentrating infrastructure in commercially attractive locations while leaving rural communities and underserved areas with inadequate coverage.

The committee questioned Adebayo over a reported ₦8.46 billion fine imposed on Globacom, asking whether the ALTON chairman could adequately address regulatory and operational issues involving an individual company while representing the industry association.

Following deliberations, Osoba put Umeha’s motion to a voice vote, and the ayes prevailed.

The committee subsequently adjourned its sitting until November 4, when the affected telecommunications operators are expected to explain the persistent service failures.

75 million subscribers compensated in 2026

The investigation comes amid continued consumer complaints about telecommunications services, despite regulatory interventions and compensation measures by operators.

The NCC reportedly disclosed on October 20 that telecommunications operators had compensated 75 million subscribers for poor service in 2026, while nearly three million other subscribers received refunds for failed airtime and data transactions.

The commission also reported that more than 6,500 network interventions had been carried out during the year to address service-related challenges.

However, complaints about the reliability and quality of telecommunications services have persisted.

Data for the first half of 2026 showed that the four major operators recorded a combined 413,587 consumer complaints.

Airtel Nigeria accounted for 228,992 complaints, followed by MTN Nigeria with 124,405, Globacom with 56,810 and T2mobile with 3,885.

Although the operators reportedly resolved 406,938 complaints, concerns remain over the consistency of service delivery and the effectiveness of existing measures to protect subscribers.

The House committee is seeking direct explanations from the operators’ leadership on the causes of recurring network failures, infrastructure investments, compliance with regulatory requirements and concrete measures to improve service quality.

The November 4 hearing is expected to give lawmakers an opportunity to scrutinise the operators’ commitments to improving network reliability and extending dependable telecommunications services to rural and underserved communities.