Youths in Kogi State, under the aegis of the Kogi Youth Awareness Group, staged a protest on Wednesday to decry what they described as persistent poor telecom services, especially disruptions affecting MTN subscribers.
The demonstrators, who blocked the Lokoja–Ajaokuta Highway, carried placards with inscriptions such as “Communication is our right, bring back MTN network,” and “Kogi government and MTN should dialogue and restore telecom services.” They chanted slogans demanding an end to the disruption and restoration of connectivity.
Comrade Elisha Aso, leader of the group, said the protest was a response to the hardship caused by a standoff between the Kogi State Government and MTN Nigeria.
“For nearly a month, telecom services—particularly for MTN users—have been severely disrupted. This has crippled business, banking services, and daily communication across the state,” he said, appealing to both parties to resolve their differences urgently.
The Kogi State Internal Revenue Service (KGIRS) attributed the situation to MTN’s alleged refusal to comply with tax obligations following a verification of its fibre optic infrastructure.
Speaking on behalf of KGIRS, Hassanatu Salawu, Director of MDAs, said MTN owed approximately ₦1.3 billion in taxes from 2019 to 2024. She explained that while other service providers had complied with the verification results, MTN did not.
Mr Taofik Isah, Director-General of the Kogi State Utilities Infrastructure Management Compliance Agency (KUIMCA), described the shutdown as unfortunate, saying MTN was found to have underreported its fibre coverage in the state.
An MTN official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, faulted the state government for acting hastily, describing the tax figure as “outrageous.” The source said negotiations were ongoing to resolve the dispute and called for a more measured approach to avoid further impact on residents.
(NAN)