The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) said internet users in the country stood at 90,003,101 in March 2017 indicating a drop in subscribers.
The telecommunications industry regulator made the disclosure in its Monthly Internet Subscribers Data for March on Monday in Lagos.
The data indicated that Internet users on both Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) and Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) networks dropped from 90,029,182 in February to 90,003,101 in March.
Internet users in Nigeria declined by 26,081in the month under review.
It showed that out of the 90,003,101 internet users in March, 89,972,792 were on GSM networks, while 30,309 users were on CDMA networks.
Also, the GSM service providers lost 26,081 internet customers after recording 89,972,792 users in March, as against 89,998,873 it recorded in February.
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The CDMA operators had retained 30,309 internet subscribers in March as recorded in February 2017.
The data revealed that MTN had 30,519,351 subscribers browsing the internet on its network in the month under review.
It said that MTN recorded an increase of 218,646 internet subscribers in March, after recording 30,300,705 in February.
According to the data, Globacom has 27,021,200 customers surfing the net on its network in March, revealing an increase of 88,715 users, from the 26,932,485 that surfed the internet on the network in February.
Airtel had 19,468 internet users in February showing a reduction of 44,924 customers from 19,423,760 recorded in March.
The data also showed that Etisalat had 13,008,481 customers who browsed the internet in March, revealing a decrease of 288,518 users from the 13,296,999 users recorded in February.
The NCC data also revealed that the CDMA operators, Multi-Links and Visafone had a joint total of 30,309 internet users on their networks in March, maintaining the same record of February.
According to the data, Visafone has 30,305 customers surfing the internet in March, while Multi-Links has just four internet users.
It noted that the decrease in the use of the internet in the month of March showed that service providers had to ensure that more Nigerians embraced data as the next revolution.
![Rev. Fr. Anthony Odiong, a US-based Nigerian Louisiana Catholic priest, was arrested in Florida on Tuesday for possessing child pornography, according to law authorities. The suspect is reportedly accused of many other cases of sexual assault. The Waco, Texas, Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that officers detained Father Anthony Odiong in Ave Maria, Florida, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Waco police announced in March that they had received "credible information" about a sexual assault allegedly committed by Odiong in Texas in 2012. “During the subsequent investigation, a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered,” the police said. The priest was apprehended in Florida by the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Waco Police Department said that he will be extradited to Texas. Odiong had previously served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans before being removed as priest in December of last year due to controversy over homilies in which he claimed, among other things, that the Catholic Church was being taken over by "the gays." At the time, the priest was also accused of abusive behaviour; a Louisiana lady claimed in U.S. bankruptcy court that Odiong had committed both financial and sexual abuse against her. Prior to joining the New Orleans Archdiocese, Odiong served in at least two Texas parishes. On Tuesday, Waco police stated that during their sexual assault investigation, "the presence of other survivors was revealed." “Multiple women have come forward to tell similar experiences as the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation,” the police department said. “Survivors’ experiences ranged from sexual assault and indecent assault, more commonly recognised as groping, and financial abuse, with some survivors experiencing every element of Anthony Odiong’s manipulation.” The police said they “believe there may be more survivors, and we wish to speak with anyone who [has] had similar encounters” with the priest. The Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a brief news release on Tuesday noting Odiong's arrest in Florida. The archdiocese “encourages anyone with any information to contact law enforcement,” the release said.](https://chronicle.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ezgif-6-4730550ede-450x300.jpg "Odiong: US-based Nigerian Catholic priest convicted over sexual assault")
