Africa’s biggest mobile operator MTN on Thursday said that it would launch a court challenge against the $3.9 Billion imposed on the company by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) for failing to disconnect unregistered users.

The fine relates to the late disconnecting of 5.1 million MTN Nigerian subscribers in August and September 2015.

Earlier this month, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) moved to reduce its fine on MTN Nigeria to N674 billion naira ($3.4 million).

It said that MTN Nigeria had until the end of December to settle the fine.

This new approach is due to the fact that they(MTN) have exhausted all other options and are trying to take advantage of a loop hole in the law. According to MTN.

In a statement on Thursday (17 December), MTN said that it conducted a thorough review of the circumstances leading to the fine and the subsequent letters received from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

MTN Nigeria, acting on legal advice, has resolved that the manner of the imposition of the fine and the quantum thereof is not in accordance with the NCC’s powers under the Nigerian Communications Act and therefore there are valid grounds upon which to challenge the fine.

With the rate at which things are going, don’t be surprised if MTN ends up paying a tiny fraction of the fine. Or what do you thing about this?