Police file criminal charges against MTN, top managers over alleged cybercrime

The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, has filed criminal charges against MTN Nigeria Communications Plc and two of its senior staff members over alleged violations of Nigeria’s Cybercrimes Prohibition, Prevention, Act, 2015 as amended in 2024. This followed a petition against the telecommunication company and its two top management officers by Christopher Oyemike.
Oyemike alleged that MTN unlawfully accessed his official email account and made unreadable email correspondence conveying financial entitlement as a staff of MTN. This allegation was investigated by the Force Criminal Investigation Division (FCID) with input from Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrimes Centre before the legal suit.
In a petition to the Deputy Inspector General of Police, Federal Criminal Investigations Division (FCID), Abuja, Oyemike had, among other things, alleged that MTN might have compromised the investigations originally carried out by the Delta State Police Command, Asaba, where the findings of police investigation stated that Oyemike’s case had merits.
According to court documents, the charges against MTN border on cybercrimes, computer data alteration, suppression and tampering with lawful evidence. The case is linked to an arbitration meeting at the instance of the Minister of State for Labour and Productivity between Oyemike and MTN.
Those charged alongside the telecommunications giant are: Olawale Rasheed Ajibade, Manager, Modern Workplace, IT Division, Lagos Office of MTN Nigeria and Lilian Binda, Adviser, Organizational Effectiveness and Performance, Abuja Regional Office of MTN Nigeria.
The case, filed under charge No: FHC/ABJ/CR/285/2025, is pending before Justice Joyce Obehi Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court, Abuja.
When the matter came up for hearing on Friday, October 3, neither MTN Nigeria nor any of the accused persons was present in court. As a result, Justice Abdulmalik adjourned the case to November 27, for further hearing.
According to the charge sheet filed by the Office of the IGP, the defendants were accused of conspiring to commit cyber offences, unlawfully deleting and altering computer data and modifying email messages without authorisation.
The court has adjourned the case to November 27, for continuation of hearing as the prosecution awaits the appearance of the accused parties.
Neither MTN Nigeria nor the named officials have publicly commented on the charges as of press time.