ADVERTISEMENT
  • The Membership Club
  • PT Hausa
  • About Us
  • Advert Rates
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
Tuesday, January 19, 2021
Premium Times Nigeria
  • Home
  • COVID-19
  • News
    • Headline Stories
    • Top News
    • More News
    • Foreign
  • Investigations
  • Business
    • News Reports
    • Financial Inclusion
    • Analysis and Data
    • Business Specials
    • Opinion
    • Oil/Gas Reports
      • FAAC Reports
      • Revenue
  • Opinion
  • Health
    • News Reports
    • Investigations
    • Data and Infographics
    • Health Specials
    • Features
    • Events
    • Primary Health Tracker
  • Agriculture
    • News Report
    • Research & Innovation
    • Data & Infographics
    • Special Reports/Features
    • Investigations
    • Interviews
    • Markets
  • Arts/Life
    • Arts/Books
    • Kannywood
    • Lifestyle
    • Music
    • Nollywood
    • Travel
  • Sports
    • Football
    • More Sports News
    • Sports Features
  • Projects
    • Parliament Watch
    • Panama Papers
    • Paradise Papers
    • AGAHRIN
  • Home
  • COVID-19
  • News
    • Headline Stories
    • Top News
    • More News
    • Foreign
  • Investigations
  • Business
    • News Reports
    • Financial Inclusion
    • Analysis and Data
    • Business Specials
    • Opinion
    • Oil/Gas Reports
      • FAAC Reports
      • Revenue
  • Opinion
  • Health
    • News Reports
    • Investigations
    • Data and Infographics
    • Health Specials
    • Features
    • Events
    • Primary Health Tracker
  • Agriculture
    • News Report
    • Research & Innovation
    • Data & Infographics
    • Special Reports/Features
    • Investigations
    • Interviews
    • Markets
  • Arts/Life
    • Arts/Books
    • Kannywood
    • Lifestyle
    • Music
    • Nollywood
    • Travel
  • Sports
    • Football
    • More Sports News
    • Sports Features
  • Projects
    • Parliament Watch
    • Panama Papers
    • Paradise Papers
    • AGAHRIN
Premium Times Nigeria
BUA Group Ad BUA Group Ad BUA Group Ad
ADVERTISEMENT
Court awards N10 million damages against Airtel for blocking subscriber’s phone line

Court awards N10 million damages against Airtel for blocking subscriber’s phone line

byIbanga Isine
March 11, 2014
3 min read

A court punishes airtel for barring a subscriber’s phone line, serving notice that Nigerians can now challenge some of the illegal actions of telecoms in the country and obtain justice.

A Nigerian court has awarded a N10 million damage against Airtel Nigeria for illegally blocking the line of one of its subscribers, in a judgment that might open a floodgate of litigations against telecoms operator in the country notorious for shoddy treatment of subscribers and poor service delivery.
Telecoms operators have for a long time treated subscribers with levity, a situation which has resulted in a myriad of complaints all over the country.

The abuses committed by the operators include but not restricted to illegal blocking of lines, illegal charges, and invasion of privacy, drop calls, poor connectivity and poor voice quality.

But a High Court in Itu, Akwa Ibom State, has served notice that subscribers could challenge illegal blocking of their lines.

Godwin Abraham of the Akwa Ibom State High Court, Itu, found Airtel Nigeria guilty of illegally blocking the line of Okon Imerh, former Director of Protocol, DOP, to the former governor of the state, Victor Attah.

Mr. Imerh had sued the telecommunications company in 2011 following the blockage of his line for 23 days without reasonable excuse.

In suit No: HU/86/211, the plaintiff had prayed the court to declare the action of the telecommunications firm as illegal and demanded the sum of N215 million in damages.

While giving evidence, Mr. Imerh had told the court how Airtel barred his GSM line for more than three weeks and would not heed his appeals to unbar the line or offer reasonable explanation for the action.

The plaintiff, a public relations consultant, said he approached the telecommunications firm and demanded an apology and N10m compensation for the stress and damages he suffered within the period.

RelatedNews

VIDEO: How communal crisis set back my farming business – Susan Godwin

How Nigeria’s debt repayment is taking huge toll on yearly budgets

Ikere Gorge Dam: Nigeria’s abandoned hydropower, fish production facility

Notore begins Turn Around Maintenance of plant

According to him, Airtel officials insisted that he had an accumulated bill of more than N4 million in overdue charges.

But Mr. Imerh told the court in his Evidence in Chief that he had a pre-paid credit balance of over N3, 000 standing to his account at the time the telecommunications firm blocked his line.

The South-South representative of the telecom firm, who gave his name simply as Tete, appeared in court and gave evidence.

Dangote adbanner 728x90_2 (1)

While testifying before the court, Mr Tete, admitted the plaintiff’s line was moved into the account of Davoize Nigeria Ltd, one of its resell contractors.

He also admitted during cross examination that the N4 million overdue charges were owed by Davoize Nigeria Ltd, adding that it blocked all the lines linked to the defaulting resell firm including that of the plaintiff.

Mr. Tete noted that his company neither informed Mr. Imerh nor sought his consent before transferring his (plaintiff) line to the account of the sub-contractor.

While delivering judgment in the case on January 27, the court held that the action of the telecommunications firm was illegal.

The court observed that while the plaintiff bought the GSM line in 2001, Davoize Nigeria Ltd was registered in 2010, the year the line was barred.

After considering the positions of the two parties, the court concluded that Mr. Imerh had convinced the court that he suffered general damages when the network provider barred his line for 23 days from November 4, 2010 without reasonable excuse.

ADVERTISEMENT

Consequently, the court awarded N10 million to the plaintiff but his claims for specific damages were thrown out.

Justice Abraham was of the view that the plaintiff failed to prove specific damages in its strictest requirement.

Shortly after obtaining the ruling, Mr. Imerh again approached the court and obtained Order NissiI (an initial order for payment), just as Airtel approached the Appeal Court, Calabar in an attempt to quash the ruling.

The telecommunications firm also filed a motion for stay of execution on the ruling pending the determination of its appeal at the appellate court.

In its reaction, the court directed the company to pay the damages as contained in its ruling through the chief registrar of the court, pending the determination of the appeal.

But in a 14-paragraph affidavit in support of the motion on notice, Airtel told the court that if the money is paid to the plaintiff, it might not be possible to retrieve it should its appeal succeeds at the appeal court in Calabar.

However, the plaintiff, through his counsel, Anselem Eyo, replied with a 12-paragraph affidavit, praying the court to prevail on Airtel to pay the judgment debt into an interest yielding account in any bank of its choice pending the determination of the appeal.

While ruling on the application, the court held that the judgment debt be paid into the court’s account without any interest.

  • WhatsApp
  • Tweet
  • Email
  • Print
  • Telegram
  • More
  • Share on Tumblr
  • Pocket

Support PREMIUM TIMES' journalism of integrity and credibility

Good journalism costs a lot of money. Yet only good journalism can ensure the possibility of a good society, an accountable democracy, and a transparent government.

For continued free access to the best investigative journalism in the country we ask you to consider making a modest support to this noble endeavour.

By contributing to PREMIUM TIMES, you are helping to sustain a journalism of relevance and ensuring it remains free and available to all.

Donate


TEXT AD: To advertise here . Call Willie +2347088095401...


JOIN THE CONVERSATION

  • Disqus (3)
premiumtimes



PT Mag Campaign AD

Previous Post

How some panicking bank chiefs pressured Jonathan, Alison-Madueke to remove me — Sanusi

Next Post

Bamidele Upfront: Centenary Heroes, Rogues and Scoundrels, By Bámidélé Adémólá-Olátéjú

Ibanga Isine

Ibanga Isine

More News

Nigerian-Stock-Exchange

NSE: Profit-taking in Dangote Cement, Flour Mills puts a stopper on bull run

January 18, 2021
Adesola Amosu

How funds were diverted under ex-NAF chief’s watch — Witness

January 18, 2021
Ahmed Maiwada Picture courtesy, Daily Nigerian

Court wades into crisis rocking Nigerian writers’ union

January 18, 2021
Rector of the Federal Polytechnic, Ede, in Osun State, John Adekolawole [PHOTO CREDIT: John Adekolawole on facebook]

Ede Polytechnic Staff, alumni write Buhari, list rector’s many “sins”

January 18, 2021
Japan Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga [PHOTO CREDIT: suga.yoshihide]

COVID-19: Japan PM vows to press ahead with Olympics amid virus surge

January 18, 2021
Militia in Dafur used to illustrate the story.

Death toll from militias’ attack in Sudan’s West Darfur State climbs to 83

January 18, 2021
Next Post
Bamidele Upfront! For the Love of Country, By Bámidélé Adémólá-Olátéjú

Bamidele Upfront: Centenary Heroes, Rogues and Scoundrels, By Bámidélé Adémólá-Olátéjú

Power Plant used to tell the story.

TCN announces collapse of Sapele electricity transmission line

Discussion about this post

Search

#EndSARS: Latest Updates




Polaris Bank


JAIZ Ad


NITDA Ad




Advertisement






netherland biz school Advert

Zenith Advert

Heritage Advert
ADVERTISEMENT

Our Digital Network

  • PT Hausa
  • Election Centre
  • Human Trafficking Investigation
  • Centre for Investigative Journalism
  • National Conference
  • Press Attack Tracker
  • PT Academy
  • Dubawa
  • LeaksNG
  • Campus Reporter

Resources

  • Oil & Gas Facts
  • List of Universities in Nigeria
  • LIST: Federal Unity Colleges in Nigeria
  • NYSC Orientation Camps Address Nationwide
  • Nigeria’s Federal/States’ Budgets since 2005
  • Malabu Scandal Thread
  • World Cup 2018
  • Panama Papers Game
  • Our Digital Network
  • About Us
  • Resources
  • Projects
  • Data & Infographics
  • DONATE

All content is Copyrighted © 2020 The Premium Times, Nigeria

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • COVID-19
  • News
    • Headline Stories
    • Top News
    • More News
    • Foreign
  • Investigations
  • Business
    • News Reports
    • Financial Inclusion
    • Analysis and Data
    • Business Specials
    • Opinion
    • Oil/Gas Reports
      • FAAC Reports
      • Revenue
  • Health
    • News Reports
    • Investigations
    • Data and Infographics
    • Health Specials
    • Features
    • Events
    • Primary Health Tracker
  • Agriculture
    • News Report
    • Research & Innovation
    • Data & Infographics
    • Special Reports/Features
    • Investigations
    • Interviews
    • Markets
  • Arts/Life
    • Arts/Books
    • Kannywood
    • Lifestyle
    • Music
    • Nollywood
    • Travel
  • Sports
    • Football
    • More Sports News
    • Sports Features
  • Projects
    • Panama Papers
    • Paradise Papers
    • Parliament Watch
    • AGAHRIN
  • Opinion
  • PT Hausa
  • The Membership Club
  • Dubawa
    • Dubawa NG
  • About Us
  • Advert Rates
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
  • Digital Store
  • DONATE

All content is Copyrighted © 2020 The Premium Times, Nigeria

Our website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.
loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.