…Raise alarm over indiscriminate vandalisation of telecom facilities
…Frown at how stolen telecom materials‘re sold in open markets
…Charge NSA to double efforts in protecting telecom facilities
By Prince Osuagwu, Hi-Tech Editor
Telecom Operators have warned that services may get worse in the coming days if the security agencies fail to double efforts at protecting telecom infrastructure.
The fall out of such a situation is that some essential sectors like banking, education and security services which operations are largely dependent on sound telecom service would suffer along subscribers who would not complete their calls effectively.
The telcos admitted that services have been poor in recent times but stated clearly it was not their fault.
Some of the operators who spoke to Hi-Tech claimed that they massively optimized their networks for better services, particularly as the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC recently approved a marginal price adjustment for them, but regretted that the activities of vandals and the inability of security agencies to properly checkmate them have drastically reduced the impacts such optimizations would have made.
A top official of one of the mobile network operators in the country, who spoke on condition of anonymity said: “At the wake of the marginal price adjustment that the NCC approved for the sector, we promised to optimize our networks to give Nigerians a very robust service, but what we are seeing after making such huge investments is that vandals are carting away our facilities without a challenge and selling them in open markets. That’s why services are a bit poor and that is why if nothing is done urgently, it will get worse”
The seriousness of the situation has also made the umbrella body of the telcos, the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) to issue a statement expressing deep concern over the increasing wave of vandalization and theft of telecommunications infrastructure across the country.
Part of the ALTON statement signed by the Chairman, Engr Gbenga Adebayo and Publicity Secretary Damian Udeh, reads: “Since the Federal Government’s decisive interventions earlier this year to support industry sustainability, our members have committed unprecedented levels of investment in network optimization and capacity upgrades.
“New systems are being deployed, transmission equipment modernized, power systems overhauled, and thousands of kilometers of fiber optic networks currently being laid and expanded. Our industry has not seen this scale of investment in recent years. We are working round the clock to improve the quality of service nationwide and we cannot afford these setbacks.
“Unfortunately, between May and July, 2025, multiple incidents of vandalism were recorded across cell sites in Rivers, Ogun, Osun, Imo, Kogi, Ekiti, Lagos, Federal Capital Territory Abuja and many other states.
“These acts of sabotage have significantly disrupted network services, causing widespread connectivity blackouts leading to degradation of services and severely impacting millions of subscribers.
“The affected infrastructure included critical components such as power cables, rectifiers, fiber optic cables, feeder cables, diesel generators, batteries, and solar systems which are stolen from active sites. These are not mere materials, but backbone of our digital economy, security systems, and national communications grid.
“We are alarmed at the frequency, intensity, and geographical spread of these incidents. States such as Delta, Rivers, Cross Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Ogun, Ondo, Edo, Lagos, Kogi, FCT, Kaduna, Niger, Osun, Kwara and Federal Capital Terrototy, Abuja have recorded the highest number of attacks on telecom infrastructure. These attacks have led to prolonged downtimes, network congestion, widespread blackouts, and degradation of service quality.
“We are also increasingly concerned about the rising market for stolen telecom equipment, such as : Power Cables, Power rectifiers, which are stolen from base station and sold into open markets Batteries which are stolen from base stations and sold for home and office inverters.
Solar panels are stripped from telecom sites and resold to unsuspecting households, while Diesel fuel being siphoned from sites are traded on the grey market.
“We appeal to every Nigerian to please join us in the fight against the vandalization of telecom infrastructure. These assets serve us all; they enable our banking systems, security infrastructure, emergency response, education, health services, and the very platforms that power daily communication. An attack on telecom infrastructure is an attack on our economy and our security.
“A second, recurring and deeply worrying issue is the widespread damage to underground fiber optic cables caused by road construction and related civil infrastructure projects along major highways and urban roads. These activities have led to significant service outages and financial losses.
“In this regard, we call on: The Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) The Inspector General of Police ; The Director General, Department of State Services (DSS) ; The Commandant General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to immediately deploy the necessary resources to protect telecommunications infrastructure and prevent a total breakdown of communications across the country. This is a desperate and urgent hour. The industry cannot fight this battle alone. We need coordinated national action by the security agencies, the government at all levels, regulators, the media, civil society, and the public. Our national security, economic stability, and digital future depend on it. The time to act is now”, said the statement
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