Reps Threaten Arrest Warrants Against Telecom CEOs Over Poor Network Services
The House of Representatives has threatened to issue arrest warrants against chief executives of telecommunications companies who fail to appear before its committee investigating persistent poor network services in Nigeria.
The lawmakers issued the warning on Wednesday after rejecting an attempt by the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) to represent the affected companies through its chairman, Gbenga Adebayo.
The House ad hoc committee investigating telecommunications service quality directed the chief executives and senior management officials of MTN Nigeria, Airtel Nigeria, Globacom, Mafab Communications and other affected operators to appear before it on November 4, 2026.
The committee, chaired by Olumide Osoba, insisted that each company must personally account for its service delivery rather than rely on an industry association to respond on its behalf.
During deliberations, lawmaker Sunday Umeha argued that the operators held individual licences and should therefore answer questions about their respective services.
He also challenged the position reportedly taken by ALTON concerning the committee’s authority to compel the companies to attend the hearing.
The lawmakers maintained that the investigation was intended to establish why subscribers continued to experience poor network quality despite regulatory interventions.
Lawmakers cite impact on subscribers
The committee’s investigation follows complaints about dropped calls, slow internet connections, failed airtime and data transactions, and inadequate network coverage in some communities.
House spokesman Akin Rotimi also raised concerns about areas with little or no mobile network coverage, highlighting the potential consequences for residents who need to contact security agencies during emergencies.
Rotimi alleged that two traditional rulers in his constituency in Ekiti State had been killed in an ambush along a road where mobile network signals were unavailable for about 20 minutes.
The allegation was raised during the committee’s deliberations. It should not be interpreted as an independently established finding that a network outage caused the deaths.
The lawmakers also questioned Adebayo about a reported ₦8.46 billion fine imposed on Globacom, raising concerns about whether an industry association’s chairman could adequately address regulatory and operational issues involving individual operators.
Earlier summons failed to secure attendance
The latest warning followed an earlier invitation issued on October 21, when the committee directed the chief executives of major telecommunications companies to appear before it on October 28.
The invitation followed concerns about the quality of services provided by the operators and their failure to attend an earlier engagement as expected.
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) reportedly informed the committee that it had communicated the invitations directly to the chief executives.
The committee subsequently rejected the industry’s attempt to appear through ALTON and resolved to give the companies another opportunity to comply.
Consumer complaints remain a concern
Poor network services affect businesses, electronic payments and everyday communication, while inadequate coverage can create additional difficulties for people seeking emergency assistance.
The NCC reportedly disclosed on October 20 that telecommunications operators had compensated 75 million subscribers for poor service in 2026 under its consumer compensation framework.
The commission also reportedly said nearly three million subscribers had received refunds for failed airtime and data purchases, while more than 6,500 network interventions had been carried out during the year.
These figures indicate that regulatory and service-improvement measures have been undertaken, but they do not by themselves establish whether network quality has improved across the country.
The committee is seeking explanations from the operators’ leadership regarding service failures, network investments and measures to improve coverage.
The chief executives are expected to appear before the lawmakers on November 4, 2026. The committee has warned that failure to comply could result in arrest warrants.
