Telecoms giant MTN has announced the closure of its offices across Nigeria, a day after an angry mob attacked one of its offices in Lagos.
The company’s “Shop Closure” notice on X read: “Yello customer, please be informed that our shops nationwide will be closed today, July 30th July. We are available 24/7 to support you via our digital channels.”
MTN’s office in the Festac area of Lagos was attacked after the company barred the telephone numbers of subscribers who had not linked their lines to their National Identity Numbers (NIN) as directed by the government.
Videos on social media showed an angry crowd attacking and pulling down the fence of the office complex before storming the compound.
It is unclear if the mob got into the office building or if staff members were injured.
MTN did not say if the closure was temporary or indefinite.
MTN Nigeria, on Sunday, barred the lines of thousands of subscribers three days before a July 31, 2024, deadline set by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to link all lines to NIN numbers.
Following the protest, the NCC directed telecommunications operators to immediately restore all blocked phone lines due to the non-linkage of NINs to SIM cards.
“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,” NCC said in a statement.
The regulator, however, stressed that the affected consumers should note that this reactivation is for a limited period to allow them to properly link their NIN to their SIM.
Authorities have not given a new deadline date for linking SIM cards to NIN.
MTN Nigeria, a subsidiary of the South African multinational MTN Group, launched in 2001 and boasts a subscriber base, exceeding 78 million users.
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