The House of Representatives has threatened to issue arrest warrants for the chief executive officers of major telecommunications companies in Nigeria over failure to honour its summons on poor network services.
The affected operators are MTN Nigeria, Airtel Nigeria, Globacom (Glo) and Mafab Communications Limited, whose chief executives were directed to appear before the House ad hoc committee investigating poor telecommunications services on Wednesday, October 28.
The executives failed to attend the sitting, prompting the committee to insist on their personal appearance at its next session on November 4.
Committee Chairman, Olumide Osoba, who represents Ogun State under the All Progressives Congress, APC, warned that failure to comply with the fresh summons could result in arrest warrants.
During Wednesday’s sitting, Gbenga Adebayo, Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria, ALTON, attempted to represent the chief executives. The lawmakers rejected the arrangement and insisted that the executives appear in person.
A member of the committee, Sunday Umeha, representing Enugu State, argued that the companies could not use membership of an industry association as a reason to avoid appearing before the legislature.
He also criticised a letter reportedly written by ALTON questioning the committee’s authority to compel the operators to attend the hearing.
“They see their appearance as a privilege to this committee and not as a statutory obligation,” Umeha said.
He maintained that Section 88 of the Constitution empowers the National Assembly to investigate matters within its legislative responsibilities, including the quality of telecommunications services.
The investigation comes amid growing concerns about poor network coverage and disruptions affecting subscribers nationwide.
House spokesperson, Akin Rotimi, raised concerns about inadequate coverage in parts of Ekiti State, warning that signal blackouts in some communities and along major roads could create serious security risks.
Rotimi alleged that two traditional rulers in his constituency were killed in an ambush along a road without mobile network coverage, saying such gaps could prevent residents and commuters from contacting security agencies or requesting emergency assistance.
The Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, had earlier announced that 75 million subscribers received airtime compensation for poor telecommunications services in 2026 under its consumer compensation framework.
The House committee has directed the NCC to ensure that the telecom chiefs comply with the summons and appear before it on November 4.
