Telecoms services were yesterday disrupted in the northern Nigerian states of Borno and Yobe, which are currently under emergency rule due to the activities of militant Islamic group Boko Haram.
Initially residents of the states assumed it was the latest example of poor quality of operator services, but the realisation the blackout affected all networks made many believe it was a move by the security operatives.
“I think the cell phone service cut was taken in order to give way for soldiers to launch unhindered onslaught on suspects in targeted areas,” a resident of Borno capital city of Maiduguri told Daily Trust.
Motorists who ply border towns of Gamboru Ngala and Marte told newsmen the government of Cameroon also turned off the telecommunications signals that used to reach the neighboring areas.
However, nobody has yet claimed responsibility for the cut-off. Nigerian military officials, however, have confirmed the army has begun operations against Boko Haram in the north-east, with troops raiding parts of a game reserve where the group has bases.
HumanIPO reported last year Oracles’s announcement Nigerian operators lost US$2 million an hour because of downtime, which was further compounded by the crisis in the north as telecoms firms contended with serious attacks on their facilities by Boko Haram.
