By Abubakar Yunusa
The Nigeria Data Protection Commission has asked the Federal High Court, Abuja Division, to dismiss, in its entirety, a suit filed by Meta Platforms, Inc. challenging the sanctions imposed on it.
The NDPC had, on February 18, imposed both a remedial fee of $32.8 million and eight corrective orders against Meta Inc.
The American multinational technology company was alleged to have violated the fundamental privacy rights of its Nigerian users regarding behavioural advertising on Facebook and Instagram.
Dissatisfied with the action, Meta Platforms Inc., in a motion ex parte dated and filed on February 26, dragged the regulatory agency to court as the sole respondent.
In the motion marked FHC/ABJ/CS/355/2025 and moved by Fred Onuofia, on March 4, Justice James Omotosho granted one of the two orders sought.
The judge had granted leave to Meta to commence proceedings by way of judicial review seeking, inter alia, an order of certiorari quashing the compliance and enforcement orders dated February 18 issued by NDPC against the company, “and all other investigations, proceedings and actions taken by the respondent against the applicant leading to the ‘final orders’”.
He, however, refused to grant Meta’s relief seeking a stay of the proceedings of all matters relating to the ‘final orders’ issued by NDPC against it, pending the hearing and determination of the judicial review proceedings.
Instead, the judge issued an order for an accelerated hearing of the suit.
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