On Monday morning, a large crowd of angry MTN subscribers vandalized the company’s office in the FESTAC Town area of Lagos State.
The protest erupted after the network blocked subscribers due to a mismatch between their National Identification Number (NIN) and SIM registration.
A viral video on social media showed the mob destroying a barricade fence outside the MTN office.
Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, responded to the video on X.com, stating that the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of FESTAC and his team had restored normalcy and peace at the scene.
“This should not be the way to go!” Hundeyin said. “The DPO FESTAC and his men responded immediately after they got this report. They succeeded in restoring normalcy and are still on the ground to maintain peace.”
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PUNCH Metro reported that large crowds of frustrated subscribers had gathered at MTN offices nationwide to express their disappointment over the disconnection of their phone numbers. Long queues formed at the entrances of these offices as subscribers sought answers.
The disconnections were in response to a directive from the Nigeria Communications Commission, which ordered telecom companies to disconnect SIM numbers not linked to the NIN by July 31, 2024.