EFCC operatives | File photo
Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have arrested two employees of Metrodigital Television Ltd, operators of SLTV in Port Harcourt, the Rivers state capital, over alleged illegal rebroadcasting of DStv and GOtv content.
The arrests were part of an enforcement exercise carried out on Thursday at No. 12 Order Street, Rumuola, Stadium Link Road, GRA Phase IV, Port Harcourt.
The operation followed a preservation order issued by Adamu Mohammed, judge of a federal high court in the state, empowering the anti-graft agency to seize equipment and documents allegedly connected to the piracy.
During the operation, EFCC operatives reportedly recovered broadcasting machines, decoders, transmission equipment, servers, and documents said to contain evidence of signal manipulation.
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Staff members of the firm on duty were also interrogated and asked to make statements.
Those arrested are Chinedu Nwaikwu, a director, and Uche Kanu, an engineer in the transmission room. They were caught with 22 decoders being used for transmission at the time of arrest.
A copy of the order seen by TheCable shows that the court directed the EFCC to label and preserve all materials linked to the alleged rebroadcast of DStv and GOtv content as exhibits for trial.
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The court also mandated the commission to submit a detailed inventory and photo documentation of the seized items.
The court restrained Metrodigital Television Ltd, Ifeanyi John Nwafor, its chief executive officer (CEO), and other associated firms—Denna Rossi Limited, Kristal Food and Beverages, and QTV Plus Limited—from accessing or transmitting DStv and GOtv signals pending the conclusion of the case.
Law enforcement agencies were also directed to enforce compliance, shut down any ongoing illegal transmissions, and monitor activities to prevent further breaches.
In addition, the court granted a post-no-debit (PND) order on several bank accounts allegedly linked to proceeds of the suspected piracy.
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The accounts affected include those belonging to Nwafor, Metrodigital Television/SLTV, Denna Rossi Limited, Kristal Food and Beverages, and QTV Plus Limited.
The EFCC was further mandated to notify commercial banks, obtain account and bank verification number (BVN) details, and preserve all funds as suspected proceeds of crime.
When the matter came up, the court declined an EFCC request for an arrest warrant and INTERPOL watch-listing of the defendants, holding that they had not yet been formally arraigned.
“An order is hereby made permitting the complainant to access the premises of the sixth defendant (Metrodigital) situated at No. 12 Order Street, Rumuola, Stadium Link Road, GRA Phase IV, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, for the purpose of taking possession of machines, equipment, documents and all instrumentalities and infringing products and documentary evidence of the volume of dealing in the infringing product to be found therein,” the judge held in the order granted on October 10.
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“An order is hereby made of injunction restraining the defendants and all other unauthorised persons, companies, firms or bodies from dealing in, manipulating and accessing the programme-carrying signals, channels and contents of DStv and GOtv.”
The EFCC, in its compliance report to the court, said all items seized during the raid had been properly secured and would be presented as evidence at the next sitting.
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The case has been adjourned to October 22, 2025, for plea and continuation of trial.
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