EFCC Nets Metro Digital TV Staff in Piracy Crackdown

Law enforcement officials from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have apprehended two employees of Metrodigital Television...

Law enforcement officials from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have apprehended two employees of Metrodigital Television Ltd, the company behind the SLTV service, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria. The arrests stem from allegations of unauthorized rebroadcasting of content belonging to DStv and GOtv, two prominent satellite and terrestrial television services.

The operation, which took place on Thursday, was authorized by a preservation order issued by the Federal High Court. Justice Adamu Mihammed presided over the case and empowered the EFCC, along with other law enforcement agencies, to seize equipment and documents believed to be connected to the alleged piracy activities.

The raid was conducted at a property located at No. 12 Order Street, Rumuola, Stadium Link Road, GRA Phase IV, Port Harcourt.

During the operation, EFCC operatives confiscated a range of broadcasting equipment, including:

• Broadcasting machines
• Decoders
• Transmission equipment

• Servers

• Along with numerous documents suspected of containing records of signal manipulation.

Commission officials also took statements from staff members who were present at the location during the enforcement action.

According to sources within the EFCC, the arrested Metrodigital employees are Chinedu Nwaikwu, identified as a director, and Uche Kanu, described as an engineer working in the transmission room.

"They were caught with 22 decoders they were using for transmission at the time of arrest," a source stated, speaking on condition of anonymity.

A copy of the court order obtained in Port Harcourt specifically instructed the EFCC to secure and label all items associated with the unauthorized rebroadcast of DStv and GOtv channels. These items are to be preserved as evidence for the upcoming trial. A detailed seizure report, complete with photographs and serial numbers of the confiscated materials, is expected to be submitted to the court.

The court order also included an injunction, restraining Metrodigital Television Ltd, its Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Ifeanyi John Nwafor, and related companies such as Denna Rossi Limited, Kristal Food and Beverages, and QTV Plus Limited, from further accessing or transmitting the program-carrying signals, channels, and contents of DStv and GOtv pending the resolution of the case.

The injunction further directed law enforcement agencies to serve the order on all named defendants, shut down any ongoing unauthorized signal feeds, and monitor compliance to prevent future infringements.

Furthermore, the court granted a Post-No-Debit (PND) restriction on several bank accounts linked to the alleged proceeds of piracy. The affected accounts belong to:

• Ifeanyi John Nwafor
• Metrodigital Television Ltd/SLTV
• Denna Rossi Limited
• Kristal Food and Beverages
• QTV Plus Limited

The EFCC has been instructed to notify commercial banks to enforce these restrictions, obtain account and BVN (Bank Verification Number) details, and preserve the funds as suspected proceeds of criminal activity.

The case has been adjourned until October 22, 2025, for plea and continuation of trial.

However, the court denied the EFCC's request for an arrest warrant and INTERPOL watch-listing of the defendants, citing the fact that they have not yet been formally arraigned.

The court order explicitly permits the complainant to access the premises of Metrodigital, located at No 12 Order Street, Rumuola, Stadium Link Road GRA Phase IV Port Harcourt Rivers State, for the purpose of seizing machines, equipment, documents, and all instrumentalities and infringing products and documentary evidence related to the volume of dealing in the infringing product found within.

The order also prohibits the defendants and any other unauthorized parties from dealing in, manipulating, or accessing the program-carrying signals, channels, and content of DSTV and GOTV.

The EFCC has assured the court that all seized items have been properly secured and will be presented as evidence during the next hearing.

The commission has also reiterated its commitment to dismantling illegal content redistribution networks and protecting the intellectual property rights of legitimate broadcasters. The EFCC emphasized that the arrests and seizures were carried out strictly under the authority of the Federal High Court's preservation, injunction, and Post-No-Debit orders.