By Babatunde Emmanuel

CLAIM

A message circulating on WhatsApp claims that MTN Nigeria will charge customers who received a purported free 25GB data bundle on August 8, 2026, the sum of ₦9,000.

The circulated message, reads:

“We wish to inform our valued customers that everyone who claimed the free 25GB on the 8th of August 2026 will be charged a total of ₦9,000.”

It further claims that the charge was caused by a “system glitch” and that the amount would be reflected as a debt on customers’ accounts from August 12, 2026.

VERDICT

FALSE. There is no evidence that MTN Nigeria issued the statement. Searches of MTN Nigeria’s official website did not find the purported announcement or any notice stating that customers who received the alleged free 25GB data would subsequently be charged ₦9,000.

FULL TEXT

A WhatsApp user shared a message purportedly issued by MTN Nigeria, claiming that customers who claimed a free 25GB data bundle on August 8, 2026, would be charged ₦9,000 from August 12.

The message presents itself as an official announcement from MTN and warns customers that the amount would be reflected as a debt on their accounts.

The claim could cause concern among MTN subscribers. Especially does who claim the free 25GB data.

To verify whether the information is true. IndyPress reviewed the claim to determine if the message originated from MTN Nigeria.

VERIFICATION

IndyPress reviewed MTN Nigeria’s official website for any announcement concerning the alleged free 25GB data offer, the purported ₦9,000 charge and the August 12 debt notification.

The search did not find the purported announcement or any official notice from MTN Nigeria stating that customers who received the data would subsequently be charged ₦9,000.

However, the circulation appears to have drawn from a genuine MTN anniversary-related offer. Some MTN customers reported receiving free 25GB data and 25 minutes of free calls as part of their 25th anniversary activities. The offer itself was presented as an anniversary benefit and not as a system error.

Also, there is no evidence in the official information reviewed by IndyPress that the free data or call minutes were issued because of a system glitch or that beneficiaries would later be billed ₦9,000.

While MTN’s official website currently lists a 25GB monthly data plan for ₦9,000, this is the normal price of an existing 25GB bundle and does not mean that customers who received complimentary data would automatically be charged the same amount.

The circulating message therefore appears to have combined a genuine anniversary-related customer benefit with the existing ₦9,000 price of MTN’s 25GB monthly bundle to create a false claim about customers being billed.

CONCLUSION

The claim that MTN Nigeria announced that customers who received the purported free 25GB data on August 8, 2026, would be charged ₦9,000 from August 12 is FALSE.

While MTN customers did receive complimentary benefits in connection with the company’s 25th anniversary, IndyPress found no evidence that the offer was the result of a system glitch or that beneficiaries were subsequently required to pay ₦9,000.

MTN does list a 25GB monthly data bundle for ₦9,000, but this is the price of a regular data plan and is not evidence that recipients of the anniversary benefit would be charged that amount.