Aggrieved MTN subscribers have flooded the company’s offices across Nigeria to voice their frustration over the blocking of phone numbers. The telecom company restricted access to several users’ mobile lines on Sunday, reportedly due to non-compliance with the National Identification Number (NIN) linkage requirement.
The action follows a directive from the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC), mandating disconnection of SIM cards not linked to NINs by July 31, 2024.
As of now, MTN has not released an official statement addressing the issue, and the exact number of affected lines remains unclear.
Subscribers began gathering at MTN offices early on July 29, 2024, forming long queues in protest. Although the deadline for linking NINs was extended from April 15 to July 31, many users claim their lines were blocked despite having completed the linkage process.
Earlier in the year, the NCC warned that up to 45 million subscribers could face disconnection if they failed to link their SIMs with NINs.
