By Damilare Adeleye
Some users of Nigeria’s telecommunications company, MTN, have taken to their offices in protest against the mass disconnection of their SIM cards.
It was learnt that many Nigerians woke up on Sunday to find their SIM cards barred by MTN Group Limited.
The disgruntled subscribers, on Monday, stormed MTN offices in major cities, including Osogbo in Osun State; Ikeja, and Festac town in Lagos State; Uyo in Akwa Ibom State and Warri in Delta State.
Viral videos online show protesters venting their frustration and anger over the sudden disconnection. The protests highlight the frustration and disruption caused by the mass disconnection, with many subscribers demanding a resolution to the issue.
This development, however, coincided with a looming nationwide protest billed for August 1.
Meanwhile, the telecommunications giant claimed that the affected subscribers had failed to link their National Identification Number (NIN) with their SIM cards.
It is understood that telecommunication companies commenced a mass disconnection of telephone lines not linked with national identification numbers (NINs) late Saturday.
Most 9mobile subscribers have also not been able to receive or make calls since Saturday night.
The latest disconnection has been attributed to the July 31 deadline set by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) for telcos to bar all subscribers whose NINs have not been linked to phone lines.
The latest deadline was extended from April 15, 2024, to July 31.
However, most subscribers say their lines have been blocked even though they have successfully linked their SIMs with their NINs.
On February 29, NCC said 45 million subscribers would be barred for not implementing the linkage.