Nigeria’s telecoms regulator has for security reasons asked operators to shut down mobile phone lines in Zamfara State, days after other restrictions were announced in the region plagued by violence.
Gangs of criminals known locally as bandits snatched 73 children from a local school on Wednesday in the latest mass kidnapping in the country’s northwest.
As reported by Vanguard on Friday, the Nigerian Communications Commission said “the pervading security situation in Zamfara state, has necessitated an immediate shutdown of all telecommunications services… for two weeks.”
“This is to enable relevant security agencies (to) carry out required activities towards addressing the security challenge in the state,” the regulator wrote in a letter addressed to a telecom operator and seen by AFP.
Another letter was seen by AFP from the governor’s office to Nigeria’s ministry of the communication dated Friday stated that Zamfara requested a “temporary shutdown of mobile networks”.
- Islamic cleric: Bandits are looking for God’s anger
- Governors of Katsina, Kaduna, Niger and Zamfara States Have Locked Down Most Of The Communication prone
“One of the biggest hurdles to combating banditry is the issue of informers who use mobile networks to communicate with bandits about the movement of troops,” it said.
“The bandits also take advantage of the availability of the networks to coordinate their attacks.”
Four local officials could not be contacted on their mobile phones.
In Zamfara alone, nearly 125,000 people have fled their homes because of worsening violence, according to the United Nations.
A series of other restrictive measures were announced in recent days in Zamfara but also in neighbouring Katsina, Kaduna and Sokoto states, all affected by attacks.
No further details were given to explain the choice of measures but criminals in the region often use motorcycles and engage in cattle rustling.