Telcos warn of imminent service blackout as vandalism spikes

•Seek swift solutions

By Chinenye Anuforo

Telecommunications operators have raised the alarm over rising incidents of infrastructure vandalism, warning of an imminent service blackout unless coordinated actions from all levels of government and the public  are taken to address the challenge.

Speaking through their union, the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), the service providers said it the situation was particularly troubling because it is coming at a time members have committed investments in network optimisation and capacity upgrades, following decisive interventions by the federal government earlier this year to bolster industry sustainability.

“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, the Chairman of ALTON, Gbenga Adebayo, said on Sunday.

He added that between May and July 2025, cell sites in key states including Rivers, Ogun, Osun, Imo, Kogi, Ekiti, Lagos, the Federal Capital Territory and others witnessed high-level infrastructure compromise by vandals. He noted that the widespread sabotage has not only disrupted network services but also caused connectivity blackouts, severely impacting millions of subscribers.

“The stolen and vandalized components are not mere materials; they are the very foundation of Nigeria’s digital economy, security systems, and national communications grid. “Critical items like power cables, rectifiers, fiber optic cables, feeder cables, diesel generators, batteries, and solar systems are being plundered from active sites, fueling a thriving black market”, Adebayo added.

The ALTON Chairman pointed out that stolen batteries are being resold for home and office inverters, while solar panels are stripped for unsuspecting households and diesel fuel is siphoned for illicit trade.

“We are alarmed at the frequency, intensity and geographical spread of these incidents.

“States like Delta, Rivers, Cross Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Ogun, Ondo, Edo, Lagos, Kogi, FCT, Kaduna, Niger, Osun and Kwara have borne the brunt of these attacks, experiencing prolonged downtimes, network congestion, and degraded service quality.

“The public is reminded that telecommunications infrastructure is legally classified as Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) under the National Security framework, a designation backed by Federal Government Gazette No. 133, Volume 108, dated March 17, 2021. Vandalism, sabotage, or illegal possession of these assets constitutes a serious criminal offense with severe repercussions. ALTON implored citizens to exercise vigilance and abstain from purchasing suspicious equipment, emphasizing that complicity in such transactions makes one part of the crime.

“Beyond deliberate vandalism, a recurring and equally damaging issue is the widespread damage to underground fiber optic cables during road construction and civil infrastructure projects along major highways and urban roads. These activities have also led to significant service outages and financial losses for operators”, he added.

In a desperate plea, ALTON has called upon the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), the Inspector General of Police, the Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS), and the Commandant General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to immediately deploy necessary resources to protect telecommunications infrastructure.

ALTON, however, commended the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) for its proactive stance in safeguarding national telecom infrastructure, particularly through the establishment of a dedicated reporting portal.