Barely 48 hours before a planned nationwide protest against hardship in Nigeria, telecom operators (telcos) faced the wrath of angry Nigerians. These telcos, including MTN Nigeria, Airtel, Glo, and 9Mobile, complied with the Nigerian Communications Commission’s (NCC) directive to bar numbers not linked with the National Identity Number (NIN).
Subscribers, frustrated by the sudden disconnection, stormed telco offices across the country, accusing them of deliberately shutting down networks to sabotage the protest scheduled between August 1-10, 2024.
Prominent lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, accused the telcos of restricting services to limit protest reach. He stated, “It seems the telecom companies aim to restrict access and frustrate the protest.”
However, ALTON Chairman Engr. Gbenga Adebayo dismissed these allegations. He emphasized that telcos have a social and economic contract to provide services at all times. “Both those for and against the protest are our subscribers. If we try to frustrate it, whose interest will we serve?” he asked.
Despite these denials, protests erupted in various cities. In Lagos, Abuja, Warri, Oshogbo, and other locations, telco facilities were damaged. Angry subscribers in Festac Town, Lagos, pulled down gates and barricades at an MTN service center, causing significant property damage.
In Oshogbo, Osun State, hundreds of subscribers protested the barring of their lines. They marched to telco offices, demanding reconnection. Protesters blocked the Osogbo-Iwo Road, disrupting traffic. Many arrived early in the morning, hoping to unblock their SIM cards, only to be told to return another day.
A resident, Ismail Ademola, said subscribers had been waiting since 8 a.m. but received no service. Another subscriber, Ifeoluwa Dayo, shared her frustration: “I left my children at home at 7 a.m. and was told to come back another day, despite high transport fares.”
Security operatives, including DSS officials, were called in to calm tensions. Similar scenes played out in other cities like Obalende, Victoria Island, Mushin, Ikeja, Onitsha, Uyo, and Warri. Viral videos showed protesters expressing anger over the disconnections.
The NCC directed all operators to urgently reactivate lines disconnected over the weekend. This reactivation is for a limited period to allow consumers to link their NIN to their SIMs. The NCC reminded the public of the compulsory NIN-SIM linkage, initiated in December 2020, to enhance national security and ensure an accurate SIM ownership database.
The commission extended the deadline several times, with the latest being July 31, 2024. Despite these extensions, many lines remained unlinked. The NCC urged the public to verify their SIMs promptly to maintain access.
In compliance with the NCC directive, ALTON confirmed that efforts to reactivate barred lines were in progress. However, they warned that some lines might take up to 24 hours to become fully functional. ALTON Chairman Engr. Gbenga Adebayo condemned the destruction of telco facilities, stating it would negatively impact service quality and the operators’ contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Adebayo noted that restoring damaged facilities would cost millions, further straining the already declining revenue of the operators. He appealed for calm and cooperation from the public.
The recent protests highlight the tension between subscribers and telcos over the NIN-SIM linkage policy. While the policy aims to enhance security and ensure accurate data, the sudden disconnections caused significant disruptions. The NCC and telcos must work together to resolve the issue and restore public confidence.
