US accuses MTN of paying terrorists, MTN denies

Nigeria’s biggest mobile operator, MTN, and a couple of other firms, have been accused in a U.S. complaint of paying protection money to militant Islamist groups in Afghanistan.

Filed in a United States District Court in the District of Columbia last week, the complaint alleges that the firms violated the U.S. Anti-Terrorism Act by paying protection money to al Qaeda and the Taliban, thereby providing material support to known terrorist organizations.

According to Reuters, the complaint seeks damages on behalf of U.S. military members and civilians killed or wounded in Afghanistan between 2009 and 2017.

In its response, MTN said “it is reviewing the details of the report and is consulting its advisers....but remains of the view that it conducts its business in a responsible and compliant manner in all its territories.” 

The complaint follows investigations by a group of large Washington-based law firms. 

It further alleges that these firms provided “material support” to known terrorists leading to numerous U.S. injuries and deaths.

MTN spokesperson, Nompilo Morafo, said the company could not yet respond directly to the specific allegations in the report because it was still going through the details.

“We cannot comment further than what we’ve said in the statement. We want a chance to review the allegations. We only received the suit on Friday and we’re still going through it. I also can’t confirm how long it’s going to take,” Morafo told Reuters.

MTN is Africa’s largest mobile operator and eighth biggest in the world with 243.7 million subscribers. 

It has previously faced scrutiny over its Iranian operations.

In February, a former South African ambassador to Iran was arrested on charges that he took a bribe to help MTN win a $31.6 billion license to operate in the country.

MTN has also faced costly disputes over unregistered SIM cards, tax and dividend repatriation in Nigeria.