MTN's Nigerian operations have taken a knock as attacks on some of its installations last week cause problems in the country's northern region.
MTN Nigeria confirmed that attacks were made on some of its installations in Northern Nigeria, by what the operator says at this stage are “unknown persons”, but what reports have indicated are Islamic militants.
According to Reuters, the perpetrators blew up, tore down and burnt masts belonging to the MTN Group, Airtel, Etisalat and other mobile groups in the latter part of last week.
Akinwale Goodluck, MTN Nigeria's corporate services executive, says the attacks have caused “service challenges” in parts of the north, as sensitive hub sites were also affected.
“We confirm that like all the other major telecommunication operators, some of MTN's installations in Northern Nigeria have been damaged by unknown persons. As far as we are aware, there were no fatalities as a result of these attacks and we are receiving full co-operation from the relevant government security agencies.”
Following the attacks, the inspector-general of police ordered regional forces to set up special units, “to ensure the safety of telecommunication equipment and installations”, according to a statement from his office.
Goodluck says the attacks on MTN's infrastructure are ruinous in terms of the country's long-term socio-economic goals. “The attacks are unfortunate as the facilities built by MTN Nigeria and indeed other telecommunication companies are key to the ICT revolution in Nigeria and the accelerated socio-economic development of our nation.” He did not disclose the financial implications of the attacks.
He says MTN immediately started working to restore services as quickly as possible to minimise the impact on subscribers. “We seek the kind understanding of our esteemed customers in the affected areas in Northern Nigeria, who may have experienced congestion or outright network failure. We are intensifying efforts to restore normal services as soon as possible.”
Share