The Federal High Court in Abuja has restrained the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) from sanctioning MultiChoiceNigeria Limited following its recent increase in the DStv and GOtv subscription rates.

Justice James Omotosho who gave the order after an ex-parte motion moved by Moyosore Onigbanjo, SAN, counsel to MultiChoice, ordered FCCPC not to take “any administrative steps” against the pay-Tv company..

Onibanjo, in his grounds of argument, submitted that Nigeria operates a free-market economy where prices of goods and services are not regulated.

He argued that the FCCPC Act and other enabling laws do not grant the commission the authority to regulate prices or require businesses to seek approval before adjusting the cost of their services.