TELECOMMUNICATION companies in Nigeria have commenced the final phase of disconnecting Subscriber Identity Module numbers (telephone lines) not linked to National Identification Numbers.
Two senior officials from the telcos who were not in a position to speak publicly on the matter confirmed this development to The PUNCH on Sunday.
The disconnection was initially scheduled for April 15, 2024, but the Nigeria Communications Commission postponed it to July 31, 2024, after carefully considering the various challenges encountered by subscribers and requests 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 said the directive was from the NCC, the industry regulator, emphasising that numerous channels have been provided to simplify the process for subscribers.
“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.
The President of the National Association of Telecommunications Subscribers, Adeolu Ogunbanjo, was not available for comments after several calls.
However, there are concerns that the telcos did not wait until the July 31 deadline before disconnecting phone lines. This has sparked outrage on social media, with many Nigerians sharing their experiences and complaints on X.
Numerous users have reported that their SIM cards were barred despite completing the linking exercise, and they have provided evidence of their compliance.
The Digital Communications Assistant to former President Muhammadu Buhari, Bashir Ahmad, 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 user, Kensola, expressed frustration, writing, “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!”
Tall John, on his part, 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.”
Jude Bela also questioned MTN’s actions, stating, “MTNNG, why are you blocking lines that are already linked to NIN? I just checked to confirm that my NIN is still linked, yet my number was suspiciously blocked. You’re causing distress for Nigerians at a very convenient time. The question is, ‘Why’?”
The order for telecom operators to block SIM cards not linked to NINs is in line with a similar mandate from 2020. The Federal Government stated that the decision was prompted by continuous terrorist attacks, kidnappings, and banditry nationwide during the concluding period of President Buhari’s administration.
This newspaper understands that this final phase of disconnection targets subscribers with four SIM cards linked to a single phone line.
The disconnection process, which began in February, has been rolled out in three phases. The first phase occurred on February 28, 2024, followed by the second phase on March 29, 2024.
During the initial deadline on February 28, 2024, the industry regulator reported that about 40 million lines not linked to NINs were barred.