The Federal Government has been urged to ensure a level playing field for subscription-based digital broadcasting platforms to promote healthy competition, economic growth and development.

An indigenous subscription broadcasting firm, Metro Digital Limited, raised concerns over alleged attempts to use law enforcement agencies to suppress competitors, warning that monopoly and unfair business practices could stifle growth in the sector.

Speaking during a briefing in Port Harcourt on Monday, the Operations Manager of Metro Digital Ltd, Dr Paul Osuji, said healthy competition remained critical to economic development.

“We, by extension, ask that standard practice all over the world demands that healthy competition is an integral part of the indices that promote economic growth at all levels. We ask that governments at all levels should look into it and provide a level playing field,” he said.

The appeal followed concerns over the alleged failure of MultiChoice Nigeria Limited and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to comply with a court ruling delivered in Port Harcourt on December 10, 2025.

A Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt had ordered the EFCC and MultiChoice Nigeria Limited to pay N10 million damages to Metro Digital Limited over the unlawful arrest, intimidation and alleged torture of its staff, as well as the invasion and raid of its facilities.

Metro Digital recalled that its premises were raided on October 16, 2025, by operatives of the anti-graft agency, allegedly at the instance of MultiChoice, over issues relating to sub-licensing of broadcasting content rights.

The company, however, maintained that the dispute was civil in nature and had already been adjudicated upon by the Court of Appeal in Appeal No. CA/PH/CS/188/2021 involving MultiChoice Nigeria Ltd and Metro Digital Ltd, while a related appeal, SC/CV/248/2022, remains pending before the Supreme Court.

Osuji alleged that during the raid, EFCC operatives carted away operational records and equipment belonging to the firm and arrested some staff members.

He explained that Metro Digital subsequently instituted a suit marked PHC/3943/FHR/2025 against the EFCC and MultiChoice Nigeria Ltd, challenging what it described as the unlawful involvement of the anti-graft agency in a civil copyright dispute already before the apex court.

According to him, while the suit was pending, Metro Digital also applied to set aside preservation orders earlier granted by a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt presided over by Justice A.T. Mohammed.

“In his ruling delivered on December 10, 2025, Justice Mohammed set aside the preservation orders and their execution on Metro Digital Ltd. The court also ordered the EFCC to return unconditionally all the properties and records unlawfully carted away during the raid, but the agency has yet to comply with the orders,” Osuji stated.

He recalled that in a separate judgment delivered on May 4, 2026, in Suit No. PHC/3943/FHR/2025 between Uchenna Kano, Chinedu Nwaikwu, Metro Digital Limited and the EFCC alongside MultiChoice Nigeria Ltd, Justice Chinelo Odili held that the arrest of Metro Digital staff members and the disruption of its broadcasting operations were unlawful and violated their fundamental rights.

The court also granted a perpetual injunction restraining the EFCC, MultiChoice and other security agencies, including the police and the DSS, from further harassment or interference with the broadcasting operations of Metro Digital Ltd.

Parts of the judgment declared that the arrest and detention of the applicants breached their constitutional rights to dignity and personal liberty, while the invasion of Metro Digital’s premises and seizure of its property violated the company’s rights to privacy and ownership of property.

The court further awarded N10 million damages against the respondents for the unlawful arrest, detention, intimidation and disruption of the company’s operations.

Meanwhile, Osuji commended the Federal Government for efforts aimed at restoring fairness in the broadcasting industry through the amended sixth edition of the National Broadcasting Code.

He, however, accused MultiChoice of engaging in anti-competitive practices and disregarding court orders.

According to him, the judgment represents “a victory for the teeming Nigerian population who have remained victims of unhealthy monopoly in the broadcasting industry.”

He urged the government and Nigerians to give priority attention to the industry to ensure healthy competition is allowed.