Telecommunications giant, MTN Nigeria, has announced the temporary closure of all its stores and service centers across the country.
News About Nigeria reports that this decision comes after a series of attacks on its facilities and staff by angry subscribers who had their lines barred due to a mismatch in their National Identification Number and SIM registration.
A mob destroyed an MTN office in the FESTAC Town area of Lagos State on Monday, with similar protests reported in other locations.
The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed that normalcy had been restored at the scene.
In a statement released on Tuesday, MTN Nigeria said: “Yello customer, please be informed that our shops nationwide will be closed today, 30th July 2024.”
The company advised customers to use available support platforms should they need assistance, and assured that it is available 24/7 to support customers via digital channels.
The Nigerian Communications Commission has directed telecommunications operators to restore all phone lines blocked due to non-linkage of National Identification Numbers to SIM cards. Subscribers are urged to complete their NIN-SIM linkage immediately to prevent future disconnections.
On Monday morning, large crowds gathered at MTN Nigeria offices nationwide following a sudden disconnection of phone lines, sparking widespread discontent among subscribers.
Subscribers of MTN Nigeria expressed frustration over the telecom provider’s abrupt decision to bar phone lines due to non-compliance with the National Identification Number (NIN) linkage mandate, which many claim was enforced without prior warning.
The disconnections also affected subscribers of 9mobile, as the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) enforced a nationwide policy requiring all phone lines to be linked with NINs.
The policy, initially set to take effect on April 15, 2024, was extended to July 31, 2024.
