Court Overturns N60bn Fine Against Facebook Nigeria

On June 18, 2026, Justice Yellim Bogoro of the Federal High Court in Lagos delivered a judgment voiding a N60 billion fine imposed by the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) against Facebook Nigeria. The court ruled that ARCON's actions violated Facebook Nigeria's right to a fair hearing and lacked legal authority.

The suit, numbered FHC/L/CS/2205/2024, was filed after ARCON accused Facebook Nigeria of running unapproved advertisements on Facebook and Instagram without proper clearance. Facebook Nigeria, represented by Mofesomo Tayo Oyetibo, SAN, argued that ARCON could not impose penalties without a fair hearing, as the company does not own or operate the platforms, which are controlled by the foreign entity Meta Platforms Inc.

Justice Bogoro rejected ARCON's claims, stating there was no evidence that Facebook Nigeria owned or controlled the platforms and that the N60 billion fine was beyond ARCON's statutory powers.