By Akinsuroju Olubunmi
Federal high court to hear FG’s N30bn suit against Facebook in October
The Federal High Court, Abuja Judicial Division, is set to hear the N30 billion lawsuit filed by the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria against Meta Platforms Incorporated, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, along with its agent AT3 Resources Limited.
In an exclusive interview, the Director-General of ARCON, Olalekan Fadolapo, revealed that the council is seeking various declarations, including one asserting that the continuous publication of advertisements on Facebook and Instagram platforms directed at the Nigerian market without proper vetting and approval is unlawful and violates existing advertising laws in Nigeria.
ARCON contends that Meta Platforms’ unchecked exposure of advertisements has resulted in a loss of revenue for the Federal Government. Fadolapo confirmed that the Federal High Court in Abuja had granted ARCON the leave to serve a writ of summons to Meta, which was accomplished at the company’s United States corporate headquarters.
This action was deemed necessary after Meta claimed it had no physical office in Nigeria. Fadolapo emphasized THAT the focus is on Meta’s business activities in Nigeria and their compliance with Nigerian laws, rather than their physical presence in the country.
“The case is coming up this October because the level of shenanigans that is happening in that place (Facebook) is too much. But trust me, we will use all legal means to sanitize that space. What we are saying is that what they are showing to the Nigerian audience, which is our territorial space, is indecent. We will not go and regulate the media in the US, but what we will do is regulate the media space here in Nigeria,” Fadolapo stated firmly.