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Lawmakers in Nigeria's upper house of parliament have decided to investigate an allegation that mobile phone giant MTN illegally transferred nearly $14bn (£11bn) out of the country between 2006 and 2016, Reuters news agency reports.

South African-owned MTN declined to comment on the Senate's decision, it adds. 

The allegation was made in a motion submitted by Senator Dino Melaye which said the money had been repatriated "illegally" out of Nigeria by MTN through its bankers   

With 62 million subscribers, Nigeria is the company's biggest market. 

The investigation comes just three months after MTN agreed to pay a reduced fine of about $1bn in a settlement with the Nigerian  government over unregistered Sim cards, allegedly used by militant Islamists and criminal gangs.

Credit: BBC