Mark Aba, Abuja
The House of Representatives has threatened to issue warrants of arrest against chief executives of telecommunications companies over what it described as incessant poor network services.
The parliament also gives the providers’, MTN, Airtel, Globacom, Mafab Communications and other operators until November 4, 2026, to appear before its investigative committee.
The warning followed the rejection of an attempt by the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) to represent the companies through its chairman, Engr. Gbenga Adebayo, with lawmakers insisting that the chief executives must personally answer for their services.
The House Ad Hoc Committee investigating telecommunications service quality, chaired by Rep. Olumide Osoba (APC, Ogun State), had invited the operators on October 21 to explain complaints about dropped calls, slow internet, failed airtime and data transactions, and inadequate network coverage.
Moving a motion during a public hearing to the effect, a lawmaker, Rep. Sunday Umeha argued that the companies were individually licensed by the Federal Government and could not use their membership of an industry association to avoid appearing before the National Assembly.
Faulting a letter reportedly written by ALTON questioning the committee’s authority, Umeha said: “They see their appearance as a privilege to this committee and not as a statutory obligation.”
Umeha sited Section 88 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, to support the legislature’s investigative powers.
A representative of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) confirmed that invitations had been communicated individually to the chief executives.
Umeha also said the committee had considered possible arrest proceedings at its previous sitting but gave the operators another opportunity to appear.
Seconding the motion, House spokesperson Rep. Akin Rotimi Jr. faulted ALTON’s attempt to represent the operators, insisting that each company must account for its network performance and demonstrate responsibility to subscribers who pay for its services.
Rotimi raised concerns about poor network coverage in parts of his Ekiti State constituency, alleging that two traditional rulers had been killed in an ambush along a road where mobile signals were unavailable for approximately 20 minutes.
He warned that network blackouts could prevent residents and travellers from contacting security agencies during emergencies, criticising operators for concentrating infrastructure in commercially attractive locations while leaving rural and underserved communities with inadequate coverage.
The committee also 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 operator while representing the industry.
At its deliberations, the committee chairman Osoba put the motion to a voice vote, and the majority prevailed.
The committee adjourned until November 4, warning that failure by the affected chief executives to appear could attract arrest warrants.
The investigation comes amid persistent consumer complaints despite regulatory interventions.
The NCC reportedly disclosed on October 20 that operators had compensated 75 million subscribers for poor service in 2026, while nearly three million others received refunds for failed airtime and data transactions.
More than 6,500 network interventions had also reportedly been undertaken during the year.
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