The telecom operator announced that it was shutting down its offices nationwide after a group of angry customers vandalised one of their office branches yesterday.
Yesterday, a group of frustrated customers woke up to the sudden disconnection of their SIM cards due to discrepancies in the National Identification Number (NIN) and SIM registration.
According to reports, the situation caused widespread disruptions, causing significant inconvenience for many subscribers who could not make or receive calls, send text messages, or access mobile data.
Some customers headed to the nearest MTN office to lodge complaints in hopes of rectifying the situation. However, the situation escalated after they were left unattended for a while, leading to the destruction of a barricade fence outside the telecom operator’s office in Festac Town, Lagos.
The disconnection of SIM cards was enforced following the directive by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to ensure all SIM cards are linked to NINs.
NCC Directive
The exercise, which began in December 2020, aims to enhance security and reduce fraud. However, several customers were affected by discrepancies in their National Identification Numbers and SIM registration, which led to their SIM cards being deactivated.
According to some customers, the discrepancies in their National Identification Number (NIN) and SIM registration were likely caused by an error mismatch between the information they provided by subscribers during their SIM registration and what was registered on their SIM cards.
In response to the vandalism and customer outrage, the NCC has directed all mobile network operators to temporarily reconnect the affected users to mitigate the situation.
