The coalition of Civil Society Organisations has condemned the disruption of internet connection during the ongoing protest against hunger in Nigeria. In a letter addressed to the Office of the National Security Adviser, the Nigerian Communications Commission, and the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria, the CSOs urged relevant government agencies to respect citizens’ rights and cease any further disruptions of network services. The letter stated, “We, in the strongest terms possible, condemn the intentional disruption of access to the internet in Nigeria following protests that erupted in several states across the country on the 1st of August, 2024.
This action constitutes an unacceptable breach of established norms and standards under regional and international human rights instruments to which Nigeria is a State party and must be halted forthwith.”
The coalition emphasized that using internet disruptions during political unrest only exacerbates the concerns of citizens and goes against Chapter Four of Nigeria’s Constitution, which assures its citizens of their rights to freedom of conscience, expression, assembly, and association. Meanwhile, the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria confirmed that vandalism of telecommunications infrastructure, including internet cables, occurred on Thursday, causing damage and impacting network performance. Gbolahan Awonuga, the Secretary of ALTON, explained in a telephone interview, “Vandalism of telecommunications infrastructure, including internet cables, was reported.
This resulted in the network disruptions. There are a lot of cable cuts.
CSOs condemn internet cuts during protests
Some individuals gained access to underground facilities and cut cables. It’s important to clarify that this is not a government attempt to sabotage the protests. The disruptions are solely due to cable cuts.”
ALTON assures the public that engineers are currently working to repair the damage and restore service as quickly as possible.
They are also collaborating with the National Security Advisor to ensure the safety of their engineers and technicians during repairs. The Minister of Communication, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, stated during a television interview, “There is no instruction to tamper with the network. It is not sabotage.” He further explained, “It is important to understand that when many people are not at work, internet traffic naturally increases.
This can lead to network congestion, but I am not suggesting it is the sole cause of the disruptions. Investigations are still ongoing to determine the exact cause of the network congestion.”
The CSOs called on relevant government agencies to respect citizens’ rights and immediately cease further disruptions of network services and any attempts at future network shutdowns. They emphasized the importance of keeping all communication channels open without disrupting and impacting quality of access, especially during uncertain times, to ensure citizens are able to communicate seamlessly and access accurate information about the state of things.
