Court Sets May 14 for Judgement in N60 Billion Facebook Case

The Federal High Court, Lagos, has fixed May 14, 2026, for judgement in the high-profile dispute between Facebook Nigeria Operations Limited (FNOL) and the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) over a N60 billion fine.

The suit, marked FHC/L/CS/2205/2024, challenges ARCON’s powers to sanction FNOL for alleged breaches of the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria Act, 2022. ARCON had accused FNOL of publishing advertisements on Facebook and Instagram targeted at Nigerian users, without prior vetting and approval by the Advertising Standards Panel. The Regulator, consequently, slammed a N60 billion penalty on the company, citing infractions of Sections 34(3) and 54 of the ARCON Act.

FNOL, however, argued that it neither operates nor controls Facebook or Instagram in Nigeria, stating that both platforms are owned by Meta Platforms Inc. in the United States.

The company, through its Counsel, Mofesomo Tayo-Oyetibo, SAN, urged the court to nullify the sanction and restrain ARCON from imposing similar penalties, insisting that the Regulator’s action breached its right to fair hearing, and that only courts can impose criminal sanctions.

But, ARCON’s Lawyer, O. S. Kehinde, challenged the competence of the suit, arguing that the matter required a full trial and not an originating summons, as Justice Bogoro subsequently, adjourned the case for judgement on May 14, 2026.