A Federal High Court in Lagos has fixed July 16, 2025, for the hearing of a N180.9 billion debt recovery suit filed against MTN Nigeria by Access Bank Plc and three other firms currently in receivership.
Justice Akintayo Aluko fixed the date on Monday following a session where counsel for the parties appeared before the court.
The plaintiffs—Access Bank Plc, Multi-links Telecommunications Limited, Capcom Telecoms Limited, and Cyancom Limited—filed the suit (FHC/L/CS/1004/2015) through their counsel, Mr Kunle Ogunba (SAN), seeking to recover what they describe as outstanding indebtedness owed by MTN.
At the hearing, Ogunba, who led a team of lawyers for Access Bank, stated the plaintiffs were ready to proceed with the case, noting that settlement talks with MTN had failed to yield results.
However, MTN’s counsel, Augustine Okafor, said the telecom giant had only become aware of the case through a newspaper publication on June 11, 2025, and had not been served with the originating court processes. He asked the court to ensure formal service of the processes.
Another party, Hoop Telecommunications Limited, represented by its counsel Modesty Ikpechi, filed a motion seeking to be joined in the suit. Ikpechi argued that his client is a necessary party and beneficiary of the debt being claimed and only became aware of the case via a publication earlier in June. He requested time for the court to hear their application.
Justice Aluko adjourned the matter to July 16 for hearing on all pending applications, including the joinder request, and possibly report of settlement or further proceedings.
Earlier in the proceedings, the plaintiffs had asked the court for a series of interim injunctions against MTN, including freezing its accounts in Nigerian banks and restraining the company from dealing with any of its assets until the case is resolved.
The judge, however, declined to grant the orders and instead directed that MTN be properly served with the court processes to allow the case to proceed in line with due process.
