The Transparency Nigeria Group has asked the Federal Government of Nigeria and all the relevant security agencies to immediately launch an investigation into business practices of Mafab Communications Limited, one of the companies that was announced as a successful bidder for one of Nigeria’s 3.5 GHz licences.
Mafab Communications was incorporated in 2020, has no comprehensive tax history and appears to have been specifically set up by connected insiders for the purpose of acquiring one of the highly valued 5G licences.
The TNG demands an immediate investigation into Mafab Communications and the Al Thani Group and establish if Dr Musbahu Muhammad Bashir the promoter of Mafab Communications, is a front for vested interests.
After 11 rounds of bidding, two operators, MTN and Mafab Communications have emerged winners of 100 MHz lots each in the 3.5GHz spectrum for the Fifth Generation (5G) network.
The Guardian reported that they are to pay $273.6 million between now and February 2022.