MTN Explains Reason For Service Outage During Lekki Toll Gate Shooting

Telecommunication giant, MTN Nigeria has apologised to its customers who experienced service outage in the Lekki area of Lagos on Tuesday night.

The apology was released via its customer care support Twitter page @MTN180 at 11:54 pm on Tuesday.

Titled “Service Challenges”, the apology read, “We are truly sorry for any difficulty you may have connecting to the network in parts of Lekki, Oniru and Victoria Island at this time.

“This is due to the loss of auxiliary power supply at a hub site in the area.

“Our engineers are working to resolve these challenges as quickly as possible, although they are constrained by the prevailing circumstances which limit access.

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“Thank you for your patience.”

The network outage coincided with the controversial shooting of peaceful EndSARS protesters by forces Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu described as beyond his “direct control” at the Lekki Toll Gate.

There were reports of security cameras being removed and lights being turned off at the toll gate before the shooting.

Many of the victims also complained of telecom network outage making them unable to reach out, raising concerns of a conspiracy.

Reacting, a telecom equipment installer who tweeted via @godimangellyn faulted MTN’s explanation.

The Twitter user wrote, “I’m a telecom equipment installer. It is a lie; I have done multiple installations for MTN via Huawei nationwide.

“When the main source of power fails, the backup DC picks up and these backup DC have a depth of discharge of 70%, so a hub can be up for 6hours before it eventually goes down completely.

“Besides every hub site have two generating sets.

“These generators are services regularly. So @MTN180 should not insult us. We are heavy-hearted.

“@MTN180 are culprit too.”

Other Nigerians also bared their minds on the apology:

The people who needed it have already been hurt or died. you’ve been used as a tool for tyranny and murder. thanks for your contribution

— #endsars #nigerianqueerlivesmatter #ENDSWAT (@bellexsans) October 20, 2020

How convenient

— Wilfred Mong (@DsilentG) October 20, 2020

I am cancelling you guys from now on. So you intentionally did this so protesters couldn’t reach out? May God have mercy on each of you

— Zen Magazine Africa (@zenmagafrica) October 20, 2020

Let it be on record that @MTNNG colluded with @MBuhari @ProfOsinbajo @HQNigerianArmy @jidesanwoolu to kill unarmed peaceful protesters on the 20th day of October 2020 at Lekki toll gate.#EndSARS #StopNigeriaGovernment #Lekkitollgate

— #EndSARS™ (@ehigymetor) October 21, 2020

You people will not be free from challenges and difficulties 🙏🏽🙏🏽

— TAIWO #ENDSARS💀 (@_Teewo) October 20, 2020

Can you imagine these guys?

— Topnotch Toby (@Topnotch_Toby) October 20, 2020