Federal Government shuts down telecom activities in Zamfara over insurgency

Barely six months after declaring Zamfara State a ‘no-fly zone’, the federal government in a renewed effort to fight banditry and other forms of insecurity in the state, has shut down all telecom activities in Zamfara state.

This is following a directive by the Nigerian Communications Commission mandating all telecommunication operators in the country to stop extending services to Zamfara and its environs, effective Friday, September 03, 2021.

The tone of the letter which was signed by the Executive Vice Chairman of the Commission, Prof Umar Danbatta and addressed to the Chief Executives of all the telecom operators in the country, signifies that neighbouring states to Zamfara like Sokoto, Kebbi, Niger, Kaduna and Katsina among others, may be affected by the telecom black-out, considering that signal to or from a telecom tower in Zamfara could extend services up to 45 miles away.

The latest development comes on the heels of a similar directive by the governor of the State, Bello Matawalle who last week, announced the closure of all weekly markets in the state as part of measures to address the worsening security situation in the state.