Some users of Nigeria’s telecommunications company, MTN, have surrounded the company’s offices over the mass disconnection of their SIM cards.
It was reported that many Nigerians woke up on Sunday to find their SIM cards barred by MTN Group Limited and others.
The disgruntled subscribers stormed MTN offices in major cities on Monday.
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 coincided with a looming nationwide protest scheduled for August 1. Telcos, however, have stated that the mobile line barring is not linked with the planned protest.
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.
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 their 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, the NCC stated that 45 million subscribers would be barred for not implementing the linkage.
Read Also: Protest: We won’t allow anyone overthrow Tinubu – APC
and then