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The Nigerian Communications Commission on Monday directed telecommunications operators to immediately restore all phone lines blocked over NIN issues among others.
This was contained in a statement by the Director of Media and Public Affairs, Reuben Muoka.
The regulator decided to change its previous order after the situation turned chaotic in many places.
The disconnection was initially scheduled for April 15, 2024, but NCC postponed it to July 31, 2024, after considering various challenges encountered by subscribers and requests for extensions.
Crowds started converging at telcos offices on Sunday, as soon as people discovered they could no longer make or receive calls again.
This development led to massive outrage on Monday as subscribers stormed MTN offices across the country, demanding the reactivation of their blocked phone lines.
The situation got worse as the crowds extended beyond the offices to the streets, which was becoming difficult to control, while some were fighting to make their ways inside the telcos offices.
An affected person told Rocketparrot News, “I had to go to MTN office in Yaya Abatan, in Ogba, after church on Sunday. They said the NIN linked to my number has my details but that the number has another person’s details and that the number has been disconnected and I should come back again.
“I’ve been using the number for over 20 years and I still used it yesterday morning (Sunday). It’s strange because my NIN was attached to the number and name on my NIN is correct.
“After staying hours on the queue on Sunday, I went back there this morning (Monday) to meet chaotic crowd too large and uncontrollable. I had to leave without any resolution because I couldn’t fight in the crowd.”
Another person who spoke to Rocketparrot said, “I got to MTN office around 6:05am and to my greatest surprise I am.number 179. I discovered last night that my line has been blocked and I cannot perform any bank transaction with my phone. I have been using my line for more than 10 years. Now, they are saying the line has been allocated to another person that it doesn’t belong to me;
“A line that I have been using for my bank accounts and all other things. I shouted inside the office, fought but they said I should come back without resolving the issue.”
The telecom industry regulator explained that this directive was in response to the widespread disruption caused by the blockages and to prioritise consumer convenience.
“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,” the regulator said.
The mandatory linkage of NINs with SIMs, initiated in December 2020, aimed to enhance national security and ensure an accurate SIM ownership database. Despite several deadline extensions, including the latest to July 31, 2024, many lines remain unverified.
Since December 2023, the commission has reviewed the deadline multiple times. Initially, April 15, 2024, was set as the deadline for the full network, barring subscribers with four or fewer SIMs that had unverified NIN details.
This deadline was then extended to July 31, 2024, to give consumers more time to ensure their submitted NIN details are properly verified.
The regulator clarified 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.
The commission urged all subscribers who have not yet verified their SIMs to do so promptly to maintain access to their services.
Meanwhile, the telcos, under the aegis of the Association of Licensed Telecommunication Operators of Nigeria, earlier clarified that the disconnection was unconnected to the August 1 protest.
Telecom operators explained that this harmonization process had been underway for several months and aimed to enhance the accuracy and integrity of the National SIM registration database.
“We advise such customers to contact their service providers through communicated channels for resolution of the issue,” the group explained.
