The local arm of the South African telecom firm listed on the Nigerian bourse last week as part of the requirements for the settlement of fine imposed on it by the regulator in 2015.
MTN Nigeria confirms EFCC is investigating its listing books
In a statement seen by Business Insider SSA by Pulse released by MTN Nigeria on Friday, the telecom firm said it received a letter on May 23, 2019, from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) requesting information and documentation related to the listing of our shares on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE).
“MTN Nigeria has not been accused of any wrongdoing by the EFCC.
“We wish to reiterate that we received all regulatory approvals required to list our shares on the Nigerian Stock Exchange, as publicly confirmed by the Nigerian Stock Exchange and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
“As a law-abiding and responsible corporate citizen, we are cooperating fully with the authorities. We are committed to good governance and to abiding by the extant laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” Uto Ukpanah, MTN Secretary said.
The backstory
Last week, investors fumed over an alleged share manipulation after the the telecom giant listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) by Introduction.
Since the listing, some analysts and stakeholders have also expressed concern over the free float accommodation granted to MTN Nigeria by the capital market regulators. In a report by ThisDay, believed that MTN Nigeria is planning to pent-up demand on its shares before offering through an IPO.
Another report also stated that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has launched an investigation into the listing matter.
NSE says MTN Nigeria’s Free-Float Valuation follow Rulebook
The Nigerian stock market said the listing by the introduction of MTN Nigeria followed the Rulebook of The Exchange and met all the guidelines of the market. It also said stated that the telecom firm made shares available at the time of listing.
But Nigerians expressed bad feelings that some of MTN‘s core investors have been engaging in off-market sales in a bid to take advantage of the growing demand for the stock. This has pushed the market value from N90 to more than N140 per share.
MTN Nigeria shares plunge for the first time on NSE
MTN Nigeria shares dropped for the first time posting a loss on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) on Friday after its listing on May 16.
The stock dipped N9 to close at N140 per share following profit taking. This made market capitalisation to drop by N263 billion or 1.90% to close at N13.601 trillion compared with N13.864 trillion recorded on Thursday.
Similarly, the NSE All Shares Index (ASI) which opened at 31,477.51 lost 596.22 points or 1.90% to close at 30,881.29.
