Zamfara Communities Appeal to NCC Over 3-Month Telecoms Shutdown
Residents of several communities in Zamfara State have appealed to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to urgently restore telecommunications services that have been shut down in the state’s northern senatorial district for over three months.
The call was made through the Kaura Namoda Focus Forum (KNFF), a socio-political group, in a statement signed by its spokesperson, Abdulrazak Bello, and made available to PRMES.
According to Bello, the blackout has left over 1.78 million residents across Birnin Magaji, Kaura Namoda, Shinkafi, and Zurmi local government areas completely cut off from mobile communication, crippling social, economic, and security activities in the region.
“MTN, Airtel, and Glo subscribers in the affected local governments have been unable to access services, yet no official explanation has been given by the telecom operators,” Bello lamented.
He explained that the prolonged shutdown was worsening insecurity in the region, as residents were unable to make distress calls to security agencies during attacks. He added that businesses, schools, and hospitals had also been severely affected, with many residents forced to travel long distances to neighbouring states just to make phone calls or carry out financial transactions.
The KNFF appealed to the NCC and relevant authorities to intervene immediately and restore normal services, stressing that communication is a fundamental necessity and its absence is worsening the hardship of the people.
“We understand that security concerns may have informed the initial suspension of telecom services, but leaving our communities in a digital blackout for over three months is no longer justifiable. We call on the federal government, the NCC, and the service providers to act swiftly in the interest of our people,” Bello said.
The Zamfara State government has not officially commented on the shutdown. However, observers recall that telecom restrictions were previously imposed in parts of the state in 2021 as part of measures to curb banditry.
