By Innocent Anaba
A Federal High Court in Lagos has nullified the N60 billion sanction imposed by the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria, ARCON, on Facebook Nigeria Operations Limited over alleged unapproved advertisements targeted at the Nigerian market.
The court held that the regulator acted outside its statutory powers and violated the company’s constitutional right to fair hearing.
Delivering judgment in suit No. FHC/L/CS/2205/2024, Justice Yellim Bogoro declared ARCON’s Notice of Violation/Demand for Compliance dated October 21, 2024, unconstitutional, unlawful, null and void, and restrained the regulator from taking further steps to enforce.
The judgment, delivered on June 18, 2026, also held that ARCON lacks the statutory power to impose fines for alleged criminal violations under the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria Act, 2022, without a prior conviction by a court or other competent tribunal.
