News

Court Fines MTN Nigeria N840m For Trademark Offence

Published

7 months ago

March 25, 2025

Justice Akintayo Aluko of the Federal High Court in Lagos has slammed a N840 million fine on MTN Nigeria Communications Limited for infringing on the registered trademark “WEBPLUS,” owned by Citilink Accesscorp Limited.

Justice Aluko, who imposed the fine while delivering judgment on a suit marked HC/L/CS/1124/2014 filed by Citilink, held that MTN’s use of “MTN WEBPLUS” or “MTN WEB+” unlawfully mimicked the plaintiff’s trademark.

The judge awarded N70 million yearly damages, covering Citilink’s loss of business and brand dilution from 2014 to 2025.

The court also ordered MTN to pay the applicant 15 per cent interest per annum on the judgment sum until it is fully paid.

Citilink Accesscorp Limited, in a suit filed on July 17, 2024, accused MTN Nigeria of infringing on its trademark “WEBPLUS,” which was legally registered in 2001 under Class 9 and renewed in 2014.

Citilink had argued that MTN’s use of “MTN WEBPLUS” and similar variants constituted unauthorised usage, misleading the public and damaging its brand.

The applicant joined the Registrar of Trademarks, Patent Designs, as a defendant, representing all entities involved in the production, marketing, and sale of the infringing services.

The applicant had urged the court for a declaration that Citilink Accesscorp Limited is the sole legal owner of the “WEBPLUS” trademark.

The applicant further asked the court for a perpetual injunction restraining MTN from further use of “WEBPLUS” in any form and an order preventing the Registrar of Trademarks from issuing any trademark rights to MTN under “WEBPLUS” or any variation of it.

“An order for seizure by the Bailiff of this Court for the destruction of all the servers of the first defendant which hosted, still hosts, used and still being used for transmitting information, messages, advertisement, marketing details of the first defendant’s MTN WEBPLUS to the general public.

“A demand for N1.5 billion in general damages for infringement and compensation for legal fees and expenses incurred.”

But MTN Nigeria challenged the court’s jurisdiction, arguing that a pending case at the Trademark Tribunal made the lawsuit invalid.

The company also claimed that its application for “MTN WEBPLUS” was made in 2012, when Citilink’s trademark registration had lapsed (between 2008 and 2014).”

While stating that the applicant failed to prove trademark infringement, the telecommunications firm insisted that its use of “WEBPLUS” was an honest concurrent use, meaning it had no intention to deceive.

It further stated that the applicant lacked sufficient evidence to justify its financial claims.

In his ruling, Justice Aluko rejected MTN’s defence and upheld the applicant’s infringement claims.

However, the court denied some of the applicant’s additional demands, including the request for the seizure and destruction of MTN’s servers and a claim for N10 million in special damages due to insufficient proof.

Justice Aluko also granted a perpetual injunction against MTN, barring the telecom giant from further use of the disputed trademark.

News

Why I Won’t Attend Gaza Summit In Egypt — Netanyahu

Published

1 hour ago

October 13, 2025

Editor

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will not attend Monday’s Gaza summit in the Egyptian resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh because it coincides with a Jewish holiday, his office said.

“Prime Minister Netanyahu was invited by US President Donald Trump to attend a conference in Egypt today,” his office said in a statement.

“The prime minister thanked President Trump for the invitation but said he would be unable to attend due to the timing coinciding with the start of the holiday” of Simhat Torah, which begins Monday evening and continues until sunset Tuesday.

Earlier, Egypt’s presidency said Netanyahu had been invited to attend following a call between US President Donald Trump, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, and the Israeli premier.

AFP

News

Fubara Names New Rivers SSG

Published

1 hour ago

October 13, 2025

Editor

The Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has approved the appointment of Benibo Anabraba as the new Secretary to the State Government.

The appointment was confirmed on Monday in a statement signed by Dr. Honour Sirawoo, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information and Communications.

According to the release, Anabraba is scheduled to be sworn in today, Monday, October 13, 2025, at 4:00 p.m. at the State Executive Council Chambers, Government House, Port Harcourt.

The statement said, “His Excellency, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, GSSRS, Governor of Rivers State, has approved the appointment of Hon. Benibo Anabraba as Secretary to the Rivers State Government.

“The new SSG will be sworn in today, Monday, October 13, 2025, by 4:00 PM at the State Executive Council Chambers, Government House, Port Harcourt.”

The appointment follows Fubara’s recent reinstatement to office after a period of political and legal turbulence that led to his suspension under emergency rule declared by President Bola Tinubu.

Tinubu had, on March 18, 2025, declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, suspending the governor, his deputy, and members of the House of Assembly. He cited the prolonged political crisis between Fubara and his predecessor and political benefactor, Nyesom Wike, as the reason.

In Fubara’s place, Tinubu appointed retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas as Sole Administrator, with a mandate to restore political stability.

Recall that the immediate past administrator, upon assumption of office during the emergency rule imposed suspended all commissioners, special advisers, and assistants appointed by Fubara.

Ibas also dissolved boards and suspended heads of parastatals he met in office.

Since Ibas exited the state on September 18, the fate of Fubara’s appointees had remained uncertain. The Rivers State House of Assembly, at its first sitting after the lifting of the emergency rule, had called on the governor to submit a fresh list of commissioner-nominees for screening, alongside the 2025 budget for passage.

His return to the governorship has coincided with a flurry of administrative changes as the governor consolidates his team.

News

FG To Disburse ₦6.3bn Interest-free Loans To 21,000 Flood Victims

Published

2 hours ago

October 13, 2025

Editor

The Federal Government is set to disburse ₦6.3 billion in interest-free loans to 21,000 Nigerians affected by recent flood disasters across the country.

Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Yusuf Sununu, made this known on Monday in Abuja during a roundtable marking the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction.

Sununu said the initiative aims to cushion the impact of flooding and enhance food security nationwide, Channels reports.

“In the next few weeks, 21,000 Nigerians will receive interest-free, collateral-free loans of ₦300,000 each.

“This intervention is designed to support farmers and strengthen communities affected by flooding,” he said.

The minister further revealed that the Federal Government, through the National Social Investment Programme, has reached over 8.1 million households with more than ₦300 billion in Conditional Cash Transfers.

“This support has improved the resilience, health, and education of many vulnerable households. The process will continue under the Hope Agenda of Mr. President,” Sununu added.

He also announced plans to empower internally displaced persons through a scheme that guarantees a market for their produce.

“Under our new collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, IDPs will retain 30% of their produce while the government will off-take 70%, providing direct cash payments to the participants,” he explained.

In her remarks, the Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency, Zubaida Umar, highlighted the growing threat of climate-related disasters and called for stronger preventive measures.

Umar noted that Nigeria faces increasing risks from climate change, conflicts, pandemics, and technological hazards, stressing that disaster management must shift from reactive to proactive approaches.

She also announced the launch of two key policy frameworks — the NEMA Strategic Plan (2025–2029) and the National Disaster Risk Reduction Strategy (2025–2030) to guide future disaster preparedness and resilience-building efforts.

“These frameworks promote innovation in financing, institutional collaboration, and risk-informed development,” she said, adding that NEMA is developing a National Risk Monitoring and Information Platform to enhance early warning and data-driven decision-making.

She further called for innovative financing options, including catastrophe bonds, climate funds, and blended finance models, to sustain disaster prevention and recovery initiatives.

The event, which focused on building resilience against climate-related disasters, was attended by Vice President Kashim Shettima, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Benjamin Kalu, Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal, lawmakers, and international partners.

The PUNCH reports that 238 persons have lost their lives, while 135,764 others have been displaced following floods that swept through parts of the country as of October 10, 2025, according to figures obtained from the National Emergency Management Agency’s 2025 Flood Dashboard on Saturday.

NEMA reports that at least 409,714 people have been affected so far, with 826 sustaining various degrees of injuries and 115 reported missing across the country.

Flood-related deaths were recorded in multiple states, bringing the nationwide death toll to 238.