Telecoms firm MTN has closed its offices nationwide.
“Yello customer, please be informed that our shops nationwide will be closed today, 30th July 2024,” the company said on its customer support X handle.
MTN, however, directed its customers to use their “digital channels” for support.
— MTN Nigeria Support (@MTN180) July 30, 2024
While MTN did not specify the reason for the closure, it came just 24 hours after disgruntled customers vandalized the company’s office in the Festac area of Lagos.
These customers, whose lines were disconnected for not complying with the NIN-SIM linkage policy, had gathered to voice their complaints. In viral videos shared by Channels Television, some were seen pulling down the office’s fence.
Police intervention was necessary to restore order in the area.
This should not be the way to go!
Meanwhile, the DPO Festac and his men responded immediately they got this report. They succeeded in restoring normalcy and are still on ground to maintain peace. https://t.co/rcKpFFvwH1
— SP Benjamin Hundeyin (@BenHundeyin) July 29, 2024
“This should not be the way to go! Meanwhile, the DPO Festac and his men responded immediately after they got this report,” the spokesman of the Lagos State Police Command Benjamin Hundeyin wrote on his X handle while reacting to a video post of the vandalism.
“They succeeded in restoring normalcy and are still on the ground to maintain peace.”
Across the country, customers with disconnected lines flocked to MTN offices in an effort to resolve the issue.
Millions of phone users had their lines blocked due to not linking their National Identity Number (NIN) with their SIMs, causing widespread panic among Nigerians. Some speculated that this was a measure by the Federal Government to thwart the planned protests over hardship and poor governance.
However, on Monday, the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) instructed telecommunications firms to reactivate the blocked lines.
“The consumer is our priority, therefore, considering the challenges the blockages have caused, the Commission has directed all operators to reactivate all lines that were disconnected over the weekend in view of the short time available for consumers to undertake the verification of their NINs with their SIMs,” the spokesman for the regulatory body Reuben Muoka said.
“Reactivated consumers are to note that this is for a limited period to allow them to properly link their NIN to their SIM,” the regulator added.