BREAKING: Court strikes out Advertising council’s N30bn ‘illegal advert’ suit against Meta – Newstrends
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BREAKING: Court strikes out Advertising council’s N30bn ‘illegal advert’ suit against Meta

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2 months ago

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BREAKING: Court strikes out Advertising council’s N30bn ‘illegal advert’ suit against Meta

The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has struck out a N30 billion alleged illegal advertisement lawsuit instituted against Meta Platforms Incorporated (owners of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp platforms) and its agent AT3 Resources Limited by the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON).

Justice Peter Lifu struck out ARCON’s case on Friday, in suit no: FHC/ABJ/CS/1701/2022, following a notice of discontinuance entered by the plaintiff’s lawyer, Barrister Micheal Okorie.

ARCON stated that Meta’s continued exposure to unvetted adverts has also led to loss of revenue to the Federal Government, and as a result, sought sanctions against Meta and AT3 for their alleged violation of advertising laws following Meta’s continued exposure of unapproved adverts on its platforms.

ARCON’s Case against Meta

In ARCON’s writ of summons seen by Nairametrics, it submitted that Meta, managed by AT3 in Nigeria is involved in the publication and exposure of adverts, advertisement and marketing communications on various online/social media platforms as a major source of its revenue generation and generates about 97.5% of its revenue through the sale of advertising space on its various social media platforms globally and Nigeria inclusive.

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The Plaintiff stated that online statistics in 2022 showed that about 37 million Nigerians were active users of Meta’s online social media platforms and it was publishing and exposing to the Nigerian market and in the country, adverts, advertisements and marketing communications without alleged prior approval of the ARCON.

He added that defendants were not paying the prescribed statutory vetting fees to the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for every advert, advertisement and marketing communications on its platforms.

Okorie argued that the development was in contravention of extant advertising laws in Nigeria.

ARCON’s legal team further accused Meta of alleged unethical and irresponsible advertising on Nigeria’s advertising space, urging the court to impose a N30 billion cost against Meta, to be paid to FG’s Treasury Single Account(TSA).

Meta Objects

In Meta’s preliminary objection(PO) seen by Nairametrics, Tayo Otetibo (SAN) urged the court to strike out the suit for lack of jurisdiction.

Jurisdiction in law means the powers of a court to preside over and determine a case brought before it.

Otetibo contended in his PO dated July 8, 2024, that Meta is a foreign entity registered in the United States of America(USA).

He submitted that the court can only exercise jurisdiction over a foreign entity, such as the Meta, where it has submitted to the court’s jurisdiction.

He urged the court to hold that the ARCON suit constitutes an abuse of the court process, adding that Meta has not submitted to the jurisdiction of the Nigerian court.

What transpired in court

At resumed proceedings on Friday, Okorie told Justice Lifu that he had filed a notice of discontinuance.

The notice seen by Nairametrics reads, “Take notice that the claimant hereby discontinues this suit against the defendants“.

After hearing from Okorie, Justice Peter Lifu “struck out” the matter in line with ARCON’s request.

BREAKING: Court strikes out Advertising council’s N30bn ‘illegal advert’ suit against Meta

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Tinubu extremely wealthy, can’t loot Nigeria’s treasury, says minister

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6 hours ago

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September 16, 2024

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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu

Tinubu extremely wealthy, can’t loot Nigeria’s treasury, says minister

The Minister of State for Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, has described President Bola Tinubu as an epitome of wealth with no interest to loot Nigeria’s resources.

Olawande stated this while speaking at the Joint Union Negotiating Council’s week of the Federal Ministry of Youth Development branch in Abuja.

The minister also appealed to Nigerians to be patient with the president, noting that in no distant time there will be positive changes.

He said, “I urge you to be patient with this administration. In no distant time, the country will take good shape and the lives of the citizens will be transformed.

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“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is not a pauper; he is an acknowledged epitome of wealth and so it cannot be said of him that he desires to loot the treasury of Nigeria.”

Olawande continued, “He has seen money and as a result of this, he is not interested in looting the nation’s treasury.”

He emphasized that the administration is putting in efforts to transform the lives of Nigerians through various policies of the federal government.

Olawande thanked the staff of the ministry for being supportive of the government policies and assured them that their welfare will not be compromised.

Tinubu extremely wealthy, can’t loot Nigeria’s treasury, says minister

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BREAKING: Nigeria’s inflation rate slows for second consecutive month to 32.15% – NBS

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September 16, 2024

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BREAKING: Nigeria’s inflation rate slows for second consecutive month to 32.15% – NBS

Nigeria’s headline inflation rate eased to 32.15% in August 2024 down from the 33.40% recorded in July 2024, reflecting a decrease of 1.25 percentage points.

This represents the second consecutive monthly slowdown in inflation after easing in the previous month.

This is according to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) report published by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

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However, on a year-on-year basis, the August 2024 inflation rate was 6.35 percentage points higher than the 25.80% rate recorded in August 2023, indicating a significant increase over the past year.

On a month-on-month basis, the inflation rate in August 2024 stood at 2.22%, slightly lower than July’s rate of 2.28%, signaling a slower pace in the increase of the average price level compared to the previous month.

BREAKING: Nigeria’s inflation rate slows for second consecutive month to 32.15% – NBS

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Edo poll: Six persons arrested in Benin hotel with fake PDP letterheads, forged signatures

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September 16, 2024

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Edo poll: Six persons arrested in Benin hotel with fake PDP letterheads, forged signatures

Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force have arrested six young men in a hotel located in the Government Reserved Area (GRA) of Benin City with fake letterheads, stamps, and forged signatures belonging to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its chieftains.

The young men, who were apprehended with incriminating materials such as printers, mobile phones, power banks, laptops, and a photocopy machine, are believed to have been involved in drafting and circulating fake PDP letters and statements.

Their objective was to paint the PDP as instigators of unrest ahead of the forthcoming Edo governorship election, scheduled for Saturday, September 21, 2024.

The arrest, which was made following a tip-off, uncovered an elaborate scheme allegedly designed to discredit the PDP and its leaders by sending fabricated documents to unsuspecting journalists.

These fake letters and statements, according to police sources, were intended to portray the party as warmongers and troublemakers in the run-up to the critical election.

A police officer involved in the operation, who asked to remain anonymous, revealed that the suspects had been using the hotel as their base of operations for weeks.

“We found that these individuals were using forged PDP letterheads, stamps, and signatures to create fake documents.

“Their goal was to send out these documents to journalists in an attempt to misrepresent the PDP and create an atmosphere of tension ahead of the elections,” the officer said.

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In addition to the counterfeit materials, the police discovered that the young men had several technological devices, including laptops and printers, which they used to produce and disseminate the fraudulent documents.

“Their setup was sophisticated. They had everything they needed to make the documents appear legitimate, from forged letterheads to printers.

“We also found power banks, mobile phones, and a photocopy machine, which they used to mass-produce the fake letters,” the officer added.

Further investigation has revealed that the six young men were funded by a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.

Meanwhile, another police source disclosed that the Nigeria Police Force, Edo State Command, has come under intense pressure from senior APC figures, who are reportedly pushing for the release of the arrested men.

“Since the arrest, there has been immense pressure on us from certain chieftains within the APC, urging the command to release these individuals.

“We believe that their involvement with these young men is being covered up, and they are worried about the potential fallout from this arrest,” the source noted.

A journalist with one of the prominent national newspapers, who had been unknowingly receiving fake statements from the group, expressed shock upon hearing about the arrests.

“It’s alarming to think that we’ve been receiving statements from people who were impersonating the PDP. This shows how low some people will go to try and sabotage the other party. The integrity of this election is now under serious question,” the journalist stated.

The Edo State Police Command has yet to issue an official statement on the matter, but sources within the command say investigations are ongoing, and the suspects remain in custody.

Edo poll: Six persons arrested in Benin hotel with fake PDP letterheads, forged signatures

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