Firm Sues NBC over Revocation of Licence

A private company, Cable Channels Nigeria Ltd (CCNL), has sued
the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) for allegedly revoking
its content aggregation licence for digital switch.

CCNL, in the suit filed before the Abuja Division of the Federal
High Court, is challenging the power of the NBC in revoking its
licence without following due process.

In the suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/785/2018, instituted by T. Y.
Musa (SAN), the Cable Channels is praying the court to set aside
the purported revocation of its licence.

The plaintiff claimed that it has been operating the licence for
over two years and the purported revocation by the NBC is
unjustified, unknown to law and liable to be declared a
nullity.

The plaintiff in addition is seeking the court’s declaration
that the revocation of the licence without any default on the part
of the plaintiff renders the licence fee of N150 million paid by
the plaintiff recoverable for total failure for consideration.

The Cable Channels therefore prayed the court for an order
directing the NBC to pay it special damages for the purported
licence revocation.

Sued as defendant with the NBC is the Attorney General of the
Federation (AGF) and Ministers of Justice, Abubakar Malami
(SAN).

However, when the matter was called up Tuesday before Justice
Ahmed Mohammed, none of the defendants was in court or represented
by their lawyers.

Justice Mohammed subsequently adjourned the matter to November
19 and ordered that hearing notice be served on the parties.

The content aggregation licence issued to the plaintiff in May
28, 2015 for transition from analogue to digital was said to have
been revoked on June 22, 2018 by the NBC via a letter with
reference NBC/SEC/LIC/19 Vol. V.