The Nigerian government this afternoon confirmed it disconnected phone lines in the northern states where it declared state of emergency rule due to the activities of militant Islamic group Boko Haram.
HumanIPO reported earlier today on service disruptions in the states of Borno and Yobe, with residents speculating the blackout was a move by security operatives as it affected all network operators.
The senior special assistant for public affairs to President Goodluck Jonathan, Doyin Okupe, confirmed on Al Jazeera TV it was a deliberate move.
According to him, the action was “a procedural action” undertaken by the Nigerian military as part of necessary actions required to restore peace and order to the region. According to him, the networks were turned off to prevent bomb detonation via mobile phone calls.
When asked when the state of emergency will be called off, he said: “It is difficult to project, but we can trust the capacity of the Nigerian Army to put the situation under control within short period.”
While the soldiers are trying to forcefully flush out the terrorists, he said the government is still willing to offer members of the Boko Haram sect amnesty.
