MTN offices nationwide have been swarmed by angry customers whose SIMs were blocked despite having completed NIN registration and linkage.
In the early hours of Monday, Nigerians flooded MTN offices across the country to demand the unblocking of their mobile lines.
Several videos and pictures making the rounds on social media showed aggrieved customers queuing at the offices of the telecommunications giant.
MTN offices at Festac, Ikeja, Lagos State, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Osogbo, Osun State, Warri, Delta State, among others, have been “besieged” by aggrieved customers.
This follows after telecommunications companies in Nigeria started the last phase of disconnecting subscriber identity module numbers (telephone lines) that are not linked to national identification numbers.
Two senior telco executives who were not authorised to talk publicly on the matter confirmed the situation on Sunday.
The disconnection was originally set for April 15, 2024, but the Nigeria Communications Commission pushed it back to July 31, 2024, after carefully evaluating the many issues faced by subscribers and pleas for extensions.
“This is not only about MTN; it’s an industry issue. The Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria will soon release a statement that will be shared very soon,” one of the officials said.
The other source stated that the mandate came from the NCC, the industry regulator, and that several channels had been offered to make the procedure easier for users.
“Subscribers are our customers; we cannot start disconnecting people’s lines. It’s important that these subscribers comply to link their lines with NIN,” the official stated.
Adeolu Ogunbanjo, President of the National Association of Telecommunications Subscribers, was unavailable for comment after multiple calls.
However, there are fears that telecoms did not wait until the July 31 deadline to cut phone lines.
This has generated fury on social media, with other Nigerians sharing their experiences and complaints about X.
Numerous individuals have stated that their SIM cards were prohibited despite completing the connection process, and they have provided proof of compliance.
Bashir Ahmad, the Digital Communications Assistant to former President Muhammadu Buhari, tweeted, “It seems MTN has blocked hundreds of numbers from their network today. Many people around me have complained about losing service. Has anyone else experienced this issue?”
Another X user, Kensola, expressed frustration, saying, “It’s still shocking to me that my MTN line will just be blocked temporarily for no just cause. I linked it with NIN for years now. What is the problem? Are we sure the state actors are not trying to stamp on dissenting voices? Let’s all be mindful!”
In his reaction, John said, “As far as I know, the phone numbers that were blocked have different SIM registration and NIN details. And I remember that SMS was even sent to the affected phone lines, and public awareness was made on how to fix the problem, but the propagandists of doom are saying that the network providers are barring some telephone lines because of the planned protest.”
The directive requiring telecom companies to prohibit SIM cards that are not linked to NINs is consistent with a similar rule from 2020.
The Federal Government indicated that the decision was spurred by ongoing terrorist attacks, kidnappings, and banditry across the country during President Buhari’s final term.
It was gathered that this final phase of disconnection targets subscribers with four SIM cards linked to a NIN number.
