Kogi students relocate, protests loom over crippling MTN shutdown

MTN Nigeria Plc, the nation’s largest mobile operator, faces service disruptions impacting over 1.5 million subscribers in Kogi State after authorities shut down operations amid a ₦1.2 billion ($925,000) tax dispute.

The Kogi State Infrastructure and Utility Management Compliance Agency (KIUMCA) mandated the shutdown, citing the alleged tax arrears and accusations of noncompliance with right-of-way regulations. The action has significantly curtailed digital services and commercial activities in Lokoja, the state capital, and surrounding areas, affecting a portion of MTN Nigeria’s 80 million-strong national customer base.

According to state officials, MTN underreported its fibre optic installations in the state, declaring only 40 to 140 kilometres, while state investigations alleged the actual figure was 199 kilometres. 

KIUMCA, in collaboration with the Kogi State Internal Revenue Service (KGIRS), teamed up to deliver the harsh sentence, which culminated to a statewide blackout of MTN services.

While MTN has yet to issue an official response, the impact on residents and students has been severe. Students at the Federal University Lokoja report that the outage has disrupted academic communication, learning, and even basic connectivity. “The incident is not funny at all,” said one student. “Our daily updates about school — classes, assignments, and tests — all come from WhatsApp groups. Without the network, we are left in the dark.”

Another student added, “MTN was the fastest and most reliable in Lokoja. Now it’s gone. Even Airtel is frustrating. It’s only Glo that’s somewhat usable, but it’s not consistent. I had to relocate to Lagos just to keep up with school and work.”

The outage extends beyond campus life. Small business owners, mobile money agents, and families have been left paralysed, with basic transactions like airtime top-up, bank transfers, or logging into digital portals now unreliable. “You want to transfer money, you beg network. You want to call your parents, you beg network,” one student lamented. “Must we be begging for what we’re paying for?”

As the shutdown enters its second week, a coalition of concerned Kogi citizens has issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the state government. They are demanding the immediate restoration of MTN service across Lokoja and affected LGAs or mass protests on Thursday at the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) headquarters and the Defence Headquarters in Abuja. Protest organisers have called the ₦1.2 billion fine “unachievable” and accused the government of punishing innocent residents for corporate disputes.

Taufiq Isah, the executive chairman of Ijumu LGA and a key stakeholder, described the shutdown as a direct attack on citizens’ survival. “Businesses are collapsing. Families can’t reach their loved ones. Kogi people are suffering,” he said in a public statement. “We call on the NCC, especially the Executive Commissioner for Stakeholder Management, to step in before the damage becomes irreversible.”

While rumours of MTN’s permanent exit from Kogi State are circulating on social media, there has been no official confirmation. However, speculation continues to grow amid rising public tension and mounting economic losses.

As Nigeria grapples with expanding digital infrastructure, the situation in Kogi exposes a deeper conflict between state-level regulation and national telecom operators — with millions of ordinary citizens caught in the middle.