The House of Representatives has threatened to issue arrest warrants against the chief executives of MTN Nigeria, Airtel Nigeria and other telecommunications companies if they fail to appear before its ad hoc committee investigating persistent poor network services across the country.
The committee has directed the telecommunications operators to appear in person on November 4, 2026, to explain the recurring service failures affecting millions of subscribers, including dropped calls, slow internet connections, failed airtime and data transactions, and inadequate network coverage in several communities.
POLITICS NIGERIA reports that the warning followed the committee’s rejection of an attempt by the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) to represent the companies through its chairman, Gbenga Adebayo.
The lawmakers, led by the committee chairman, Olumide Osoba (All Progressives Congress; Ogun State), insisted that the chief executives and other senior management officials must personally account for their companies’ performance rather than delegate the responsibility to an industry association.
The operators invited to appear before the committee include MTN Nigeria, Airtel Nigeria, Globacom, Mafab Communications and other licensed telecommunications companies.
The companies were summoned to explain why subscribers continue to experience unreliable telecommunications services despite regulatory interventions and repeated complaints about the quality of their networks.
However, the operators reportedly sought to have Adebayo represent them at the hearing, a move that angered members of the committee, who maintained that each company must independently answer questions about its operations, service delivery and compliance with regulatory requirements.
Moving a motion on the matter, a member of the committee, Sunday Umeha, argued that the telecommunications companies held individual licences issued by the Federal Government and could not use their membership of an industry association to avoid appearing before the National Assembly.
Umeha also criticised a letter reportedly written by ALTON questioning the committee’s authority to compel the operators to attend the hearing.
He said the position taken by the association suggested that the operators considered their appearance before the lawmakers a favour rather than a legal obligation.
“I was shocked with what I saw in the letter. I saw a situation where ALTON is saying that they are not bound to appear before this committee. They see their appearance as a privilege to this committee and not as a statutory obligation,” Umeha said.
He added, “We have the powers to compel their appearance before us in accordance with the Constitution.”
The lawmaker cited Section 88 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, arguing that the National Assembly had the authority to investigate matters within its legislative responsibilities, including the implementation of government policies.
According to him, the committee was not required to accept the internal arrangements of the telecommunications association as a substitute for the personal appearance of the executives it had invited.
He maintained that the companies must appear individually unless the committee expressly approved a different arrangement.
A representative of the Nigerian Communications Commission told the lawmakers that the regulatory agency had communicated the invitations directly to the chief executives of the affected telecommunications companies.
Umeha recalled that the committee had considered taking steps to secure the executives’ arrest at its previous sitting but decided to give them another opportunity to comply with the invitation.
He said the operators had nevertheless failed to honour the summons despite further communication facilitated through the Nigerian Communications Commission.
The House spokesman, Akin Rotimi, who seconded the motion, also criticised ALTON’s attempt to represent the telecommunications companies.
Rotimi argued that subscribers dealt directly with individual network providers and were entitled to demand explanations and accountability from the companies responsible for their services.
He said the association’s intervention could not replace the responsibility of individual operators to explain their performance to the committee.
The lawmaker also raised concerns about poor network coverage in parts of his constituency in Ekiti State, warning that the absence of mobile signals in some communities and along major roads posed serious security risks.
Rotimi alleged that two traditional rulers in his constituency had been killed in an ambush along a stretch of road where mobile network signals were unavailable for about 20 minutes.
He expressed concern that such connectivity gaps could prevent residents and travellers from contacting security agencies or seeking emergency assistance when confronted with danger.
The lawmaker further accused telecommunications operators of concentrating their infrastructure in commercially attractive locations while leaving rural communities and other underserved areas with inadequate network coverage.
He argued that network expansion should not be determined solely by commercial considerations, particularly where poor connectivity could affect public safety and access to emergency services.
The committee also questioned Adebayo over a reported ₦8.46bn fine imposed on Globacom, raising concerns about whether the ALTON chairman could adequately address regulatory and operational matters involving an individual operator while representing the industry association.
Following deliberations, Osoba put Umeha’s motion to a voice vote, and the committee adopted it.
The committee subsequently adjourned its sitting until November 4, when the telecommunications operators are expected to appear and provide explanations for the persistent service failures.
The investigation comes amid continuing complaints from subscribers about unreliable network services, even as the Nigerian Communications Commission has introduced measures aimed at improving service quality and compensating customers affected by poor performance.
On October 20, the commission disclosed that telecommunications operators had compensated 75 million subscribers for poor service in 2026 under its consumer compensation framework.
Nearly three million other subscribers had reportedly received refunds for failed airtime and data purchases.
The commission also reported that more than 6,500 network interventions had been carried out during the year. The interventions included equipment upgrades and additional network capacity in areas experiencing increased demand.
Despite these measures, subscribers have continued to complain about dropped calls, unreliable internet connections, billing disputes, rapid data depletion and failed transactions.
Figures attributed to the commission for the first half of 2026 showed that the four major operators recorded 413,587 consumer complaints, of which 406,938 were reportedly resolved.
The breakdown attributed 228,992 complaints to Airtel Nigeria, 124,405 to MTN Nigeria, 56,810 to Globacom and 3,885 to T2mobile.
