By Martin Ekpeke
Telecom operators, united under the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), are voicing deep concern over the alarming surge in the theft and vandalization of critical telecom equipment nationwide.
This illicit trade is not only disrupting services but also undermining the significant investments made by operators to improve connectivity across Nigeria.
In a statement signed by Engr. Gbenga Adebayo, ALTON’s Chairman, and Barr. Damian Udeh, its Publicity Secretary, the association highlighted a disturbing trend where essential components like power cables and rectifiers are being brazenly stolen from base stations and sold in open markets.
According to the statement, this extends to batteries, often pilfered from telecom sites and resold for home and office inverters, and solar panels stripped from sites to be pawned off to unsuspecting households. Even diesel fuel is being siphoned from sites and traded on the grey market, crippling operations.
These acts of sabotage have become increasingly frequent, particularly between May and July 2025, with incidents recorded across numerous states including Rivers, Ogun, Osun, Imo, Kogi, Ekiti, and Lagos, as well as the Federal Capital Territory Abuja.
These attacks have led to prolonged network downtimes, widespread connectivity blackouts, and a significant degradation of services, impacting millions of subscribers.
ALTON is appealing to all Nigerians to actively join the fight against the vandalization of telecom infrastructure. The association urges the public to exercise vigilance and to refrain from purchasing suspicious items.
As ALTON sternly warns, “If you buy stolen telecom equipment, you are not just complicit; you are part of the crime.” The public should also be aware that telecommunications infrastructure is legally classified as Critical National Infrastructure (CNI), making vandalism or illegal possession a serious criminal offense with severe repercussions.