Nigerian legal practitioner Zaenab Olawunmi Adams, Esq., has issued a formal complaint and threat of litigation against telecommunications provider MTN Nigeria, demanding a full accounting after 708.55GB of her 800GB annual data subscription allegedly vanished in roughly 104 days.
​Adams, a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, detailed her grievances in an official correspondence sent to MTN Customer Care on Friday, August 28, 2026, which she subsequently shared publicly.
​According to the complaint, Adams subscribed to the ₦125,000 annual data package on May 15, 2026. By Thursday, August 27, 2026, network records showed her remaining balance stood at just 91.45GB, meaning approximately 88.6 percent of her total allocation had been consumed in under four months, despite being marketed as a 12-month plan.
​”I do not use multiple devices on the line, I am not a gamer, and my ordinary internet usage is substantially limited to routine activities such as social media, messaging, browsing and other personal online activities on a single mobile device,” Adams stated, pushing back against potential claims of high-volume consumption.
​In her demand letter, Adams requested that MTN Nigeria provide a comprehensive technical review and account audit covering the period from May 15 to August 27, 2026. Her demands include: A chronological statement showing data balances and deductions per session.
She also demanded specific dates, timestamps, and precise data volumes deducted for every usage event. Identification of specific applications, services, or destinations responsible for major deductions.
​The dispute comes amid broader consumer pushback regarding data billing and billing transparency across Nigerian telecommunications networks. While MTN Nigeria CEO Dr. Karl Toriola recently defended the operator’s network accounting during public industry forums in Lagos, pointing to background application updates, high-definition streaming, and cloud backups on 4G/5G networks. Subscribers continue to voice frustration over high depletion rates.
​Adams has given MTN Nigeria until 11:59 PM on Monday, August 31, 2026, to furnish her with a complete usage report and account reconciliation, warning that failure to provide transparent records will result in legal proceedings.
MTN Nigeria customer support representatives have received the formal inquiry, though the company has yet to issue an official public response regarding the specific petition.
