The Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) has expressed deep concern over the increasing wave of vandalization and theft of telecommunications infrastructure across the country.

According to a statement signed by Engr. Gbenga Adebayo, chairman, ALTON, “since the Federal Government’s decisive interventions earlier this year to support industry sustainability, our members have committed unprecedented levels of investment in network optimization and capacity upgrades. New systems are being deployed, transmission equipment modernized, power systems overhauled, and thousands of kilometers of fiber optic networks currently being laid and expanded.

“Our industry has not seen this scale of investment in recent years. We are working round the clock to improve the quality of service nationwide and we cannot afford these setbacks.

“Unfortunately, between May and July, 2025, multiple incidents of vandalism were recorded across cell sites in Rivers, Ogun, Osun, Imo, Kogi, Ekiti, Lagos, Federal Capital Territory Abuja and many other states.

“These acts of sabotage have significantly disrupted network services, causing widespread connectivity blackouts leading to degradation of services and severely impacting millions of subscribers”.

He noted that, the affected infrastructure, primarily belong to ALTON members, as well as other network operators and those who depend on operators for connectivity.

He said identified critical components targeted to include; power cables, rectifiers, fiber optic cables, feeder cables, diesel generators, batteries, and solar systems are vandalized and stolen from active sites.

“These are not mere materials, but they are the backbone of our digital economy, security systems, and national communications grid.

“We are alarmed at the frequency, intensity, and geographical spread of these incidents. States such as Delta, Rivers, Cross Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Ogun, Ondo, Edo, Lagos, Kogi, FCT, Kaduna, Niger, Osun, Kwara and Federal Capital Territory, Abuja have recorded the highest number of attacks on telecom infrastructure. These attacks have led to prolonged downtimes, network congestion, widespread blackouts, and degradation of service quality.

The public he said, must be reminded that telecommunications infrastructure is classified as Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) under the National Security framework. This classification is backed by Federal Government Gazette No. 133, Volume 108, dated 17th March 2021. Vandalism, sabotage, or illegal possession of these assets is a serious criminal offense with grave consequences.

ALTON expressed concerned about the rising market for stolen telecom equipment, such as:

– Power Cables, Power rectifiers, which are stolen from base station and sold into open markets

– Batteries which are stolen from base stations and sold for home and office inverters.

– Solar panels that are stripped from telecom sites and resold to unsuspecting households.

– Diesel fuel being siphoned from sites and traded on the grey market.

“We urge the public to be vigilant and refrain from purchasing suspicious items. If you buy stolen telecom equipment, you are not just complicit you are part of the crime.

We appeal to every Nigerian to please join us in the fight against the vandalization of telecom infrastructure.

“These assets serve us all, they enable our banking systems, security infrastructure, emergency response, education, health services, and the very platforms that power daily communication. An attack on telecom infrastructure is an attack on our economy and our security.

“A second, recurring and deeply worrying issue is the widespread damage to underground fiber optic cables caused by road construction and related civil infrastructure projects along major highways and urban roads. These activities have led to significant service outages and financial losses,” he added.

ALTON called on: – the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), the Inspector General of Police, the Director General, Department of State Services (DSS), and the Commandant General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC)

to immediately deploy the necessary resources to protect telecommunications infrastructure and prevent a total breakdown of communications across the country.

“We commend the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) for its proactive efforts in safeguarding national telecom infrastructure, particularly through the creation of a dedicated reporting portal.

“This initiative empowers citizens to play an active role in protecting critical assets by reporting incidents of vandalism or suspicious activity via [email protected] or by dialing 622.

“Such forward-thinking measures are vital to ensuring the resilience and security of our communications network. This is a desperate and urgent hour. The industry cannot fight this battle alone. We need coordinated national action by the security agencies, the government at all levels, regulators, the media, civil society, and the public. Our national security, economic stability, and digital future depend on it,” the statement noted.