Following recent vandalisation of telecommunications fibres in north-eastern Nigeria, particularly in Borno and Yobe states, the Nigerian Communications Commission has promised to restore full services in the region in no time.
Prof. Umar Danbatta, Executive Vice-Chairman of the NCC, said this on Monday at a Stakeholders Consultative Forum on Implementation of the National Broadband Policy 2020-2025.
According to him, the fibres infrastructure were vandalised by unknown persons, thereby cutting millions of people off in the region.
Danbatta, while condemning the act as constituting a breach of national security, however assured telecoms operators of quick restoration of service.
The telecoms operators had earlier complained that some North-east cities were cut off from communications from both within and outside.
In a response to concerns raised by representatives of MTN and Airtel, Danbatta assured of immediate action on the problem, saying, “Yes, we are aware of the cut of fibre infrastructure in the North-east last Friday. We took up the matter immediately.
“But reports reaching me right now indicate that some labourers are responsible. And that they have cut it again as of today.”
He also said the attention of the Office of the National Security Adviser as well as that of the Borno State government were drawn to the issue.
On his part, Dr. Isa Pantami, Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, urged the NCC and other stakeholders to create a database of critical telecommunications infrastructure and their locations in order to halt incessant attacks on telecoms infrastructure in the country.
