An Osun State High Court has issued a formal writ of summons to MTN Communications PLC in connection with allegations of defamation against the state government. This writ, signed by the court’s Registrar and obtained by Daily Champion on Tuesday in Osogbo, stipulates that the defendant is required to appear in court within 42 days of receiving the summons, including the day on which it was served. The court has cautioned that failure to respond or appear may result in judgment being rendered in the defendant’s absence. The Osun State Government has initiated legal proceedings against MTN Nigeria Communications PLC, demanding three billion naira in damages for alleged defamation. The lawsuit, filed before the Osogbo High Court, asserts that MTN has disseminated false information that negatively impacts the state’s reputation. The case is designated as number HOS/99/2024 and includes the state Attorney General, Jimi Bada, as a co-claimant. The claimants contend that MTN has published misleading statements regarding Oodua Infraco Resources Limited, claiming that it is a state-owned entity and alleging that the state government sought to collect fees for rights of way. Such assertions are deemed not only untrue but also damaging to the state’s public image. The claimants seek several declarations from the court, including a determination that the statements published by MTN on the 16th and 19th of August 2024 are false, malicious, and intended to harm the reputation of the claimants. Furthermore, they request that the court order the defendant to issue a public and unequivocal retraction of the defamatory statements through paid advertisements in ten newspapers with national circulation. In addition, the claimants are pursuing an order compelling MTN to deliver a formal and unreserved apology to the Governor of Osun State for the publication of these alleged malicious and injurious falsehoods. They also seek a perpetual injunction preventing MTN and its representatives from further publishing or disseminating any materials that could be considered malicious or injurious to the claimants. The claimants are requesting damages amounting to N3,000,000,000 (Three Billion Naira) for the alleged malicious falsehoods disseminated by MTN on the aforementioned dates. In a related matter, Global Transactions Nigeria Limited, the consultant for telecommunications infrastructure on behalf of the Osun State Government, has reported that a criminal case has been filed against MTN for violations of the Osun State Environmental Protection Law of 2022. Morenike George-Taylor, the Director of Data and Project Management at the firm, has indicated that this matter has been brought to the attention of the Osun State Police. George-Taylor further noted that despite ongoing disputes regarding an outstanding payment of 945 million Naira owed to the state government, MTN cables are reportedly still being installed by Oodua Infraco Resources Limited. Notifications have been dispatched to the Office of the National Security Adviser and the Federal House of Assembly, as well as the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) regarding these developments. Emphasizing the significance of these actions, George-Taylor stated that they could potentially form the basis for a landmark case concerning the Critical National Infrastructure Bill, which was enacted in June 2024. She asserted that telecommunications companies cannot evade their fiscal responsibilities by concealing themselves behind legal statutes. Efforts to obtain a comment from MTN regarding these allegations have, as of this report, proven unsuccessful