A Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, has ordered the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Multichoice Nigeria Limited to pay N10 million to Metro Digital Limited for the unlawful arrest, torture, intimidation of staff, invasion and raiding of its (Metro) facilities.
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It would be recalled that on October 16, 2025, the premises of Metro Digital Ltd, a licenced indigenous broadcasting organisaton was raided by the anti-graft agency, allegedly instigated by Multichoice, purportedly acting on the order by a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, over sub licencing of broadcasting content rights.
But the Metro management had earlier clarified that the said content rights, a civil dispute had already been adjudicated by the Court of Appeal in Appeal No. CA/PH/CS/188/2021 between Multichoice Nig Ltd. Vs Metro Digital Ltd and 20 others, which according to the clarification is a subject of a pending Appeal No. SC/CV/248/2022 – Multichoice Nig Ltd and 20 others before the Supreme Court.
In a briefing with journalists in Port Harcourt, yesterday, Dr Paul Osuji, Operations Manager, Metro Digital Ltd, explained that during the raid, the anti-graft agency allegedly carted away properties and records of the broadcasting firm and arrested its staff members and another staff member of a company operating in the same premises.
Osuji explained further that “Metro Digital Ltd took out a suit at the High Court of Rivers State with suit number PHC/3943/FHR/2025 against EFCC and Multichoice Nig Ltd, challenging the interference of EFCC on the instigation of Multichoice Nig Ltd in a purely civil suit over copyright which is pending before the apex court and when in any event does not fall within the powers of EFCC under the establishment act.
“Instructively, while the suit no. PHC/3943/FHR/2025 was still pending, Metro Digital Ltd filed an application to set aside the said preservation orders of the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, presided over by Hon. Justice A. T. Mohammed.
In his (Justice Mohammed) ruling delivered on December 10, 2025, set aside the preservation orders and its illegal execution on Metro Digital Ltd.
The court also ordered EFCC to return unconditionally all the properties and records of Metro Digital Ltd, illegally and unlawfully carted away during the raid but the agency has till date (May 11, 2026) not obeyed those orders of the court”.
Ruling on the matter registered in Suit Number PHC/3943/FHR/2025 between Mr Uchenna Kano, Mr Chinedu Nwaikwu, Metro Digital Limited, Against EFCC and Multichoice Nig Ltd, on May 4, 2026, Justice Chinelo Odili found the arrest of the members of Metro Digital, the carting away, and disruption of its broadcasting business to be unlawful and a violation of their rights.
The court also granted a perpetual injunction, restraining EFCC and Multichoice, any other security agency, including the police and DSS from arresting, harassing and interfering with the broadcasting business of Metro Digital Ltd.
Parts of the orders includes: “It is declared that the torture, arrest and detention of the 1st and 2nd Applicants on 16/10/2025 by the 1st Respondent on the instigation of the 2nd Respondent is unlawful and breached the 1st and 2nd Applicant’s fundamental rights to dignity and personal liberty as guaranteed by Section 34(1) and 35(1) of the Constitution by the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).
“It is declared that the invasion of the 3rd Applicant’s premises, destruction of its objects of trade, disruption of its business and carting away of its property and restricting of its accounts on a preservation Order against anon juristic person, Metrodigital Television Limited violated the 3rd Applicant’s rights to privacy and right to own properties.
“The 1st and 2nd Respondents are to pay the applicants sum of N10,000,000.00, being and representing damages for the harassment, intimidation, unlawful arrest, detention and torture of the 1st and 2nd Applicants and the invasion and raiding of the 3rd Applicant’s broadcasting equipment/facilities, invoices, books of accounts, operational documents, etc, by the 1st Respondent on the unwarranted instigation by the 2nd Respondent over a subject matter of an extant judgement of the Court of Appeal and a subject of a pending appeal at the Supreme Court.”
Meanwhile, Dr. Osuji, during the briefing with Journalists expressed delight with the federal government for its effort in restoring sanity and a level of playing field in the Nigerian broadcasting industry through the national broadcasting code 6th edition as amended, to fight monopoly and other unfair practices.
He also regretted that “Multichoice finds it convenient to disobey court orders, engage in unethical business practices such as entrenching monopoly and engage in exclusive acquisition of content rights “.
Osuji added that the judgement is a victory for the teeming multitude of the Nigerian population who have for a long time remain victims of unhealthy monopoly in the broadcasting industry by the former South African pay TV company, Multichoice Nig. Ltd.”
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