ABUJA (Sundiata Post) – There have been several complaints from telecoms subscribers on social media about network disruptions since Thursday. Some users linked it to a government plan to disrupt the ongoing protests.
NetBlocks, a watchdog organisation that monitors cybersecurity and internet governance, reported a 40% drop in MTN’s network connectivity, which it stated may limit the visibility of the #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protests.
However, Association of Licensed Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ALTON), confirmed that vandalism of telecommunications infrastructure, including internet cables, occurred on Thursday, causing damage and impacting network performance.
In a telephone interview, the Secretary of the ALTON, Mr. Gbolahan Awonuga, explained, “Vandalism of telecommunications infrastructure, including internet cables, was reported. This resulted in the network disruptions. There are a lot of cable cuts. Some individuals gained access to underground facilities and cut cables. It’s important to clarify that this is not a government attempt to sabotage the protests. The disruptions are solely due to cable cuts.”
ALTON assures the public that engineers are currently working to repair the damage and restore service as quickly as possible. They are also collaborating with the National Security Advisor (NSA) to ensure the safety of their engineers and technicians during repairs.
“We apologize for any inconvenience caused by the network disruptions and appreciate your patience as we work to restore full service,” ALTON said.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Communication, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, during a television interview “There is no instruction to tamper with the network. It is not sabotage.”
He further explained, ‘It is important to understand that when many people are not at work, internet traffic naturally increases. This can lead to network congestion, but I am not suggesting it is the sole cause of the disruptions. Investigations are still ongoing to determine the exact cause of the network congestion.”
