NCC raids bank, others in Lagos over disruption to 9mobile services

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has clamped down on organisations in four locations whose installations have been causing disruption to the service of 9Mobile.

The Enforcement Unit of the Commission, which led the clampdown on a bank named Page Microfinance Bank, also raided GMT Energy Resources, Club 57 and a property on No. 61, Ademola Street, Ikoyi.

However, while four locations were found by the enforcement team, only the first three were tracked as the team could not access the premises of the fourth location on No. 61, Ademola Street in Ikoyi.

The NCC raid followed complaints from the telecommunication firm in respect of frequency interference it was having in its network, which, according to it, had subjected a number of its corporate and individual customers to contending with debilitating service delivery on the mobile network.

Head of Enforcement Unit at NCC, Salisu Abdu, who led the team from Abuja, said that after a thorough search, the team was able to localise the culprits causing the network interference to the four locations.

Abdu stated that under the Nigerian Communication Act, 2003, it is illegal for any person or organisation to install any communications equipment capable of causing threats to service interoperability because such a practice degrades the quality of service.

“These equipment called GSM boosters were installed and were being used illegally. What they actually do with GSM booster is to improve the quality of service in their own premises at the detriment of neighbouring residents.

“So, what the equipment does is to extort services from other telecoms service users around and localise within the user’s premises.

“While the use of GSM booster can be seen as an advantage to the user, it is a disadvantage to the neighbours. It is illegal to do that in accordance with the provision of the telecoms’ laws and they have removed all the equipment,” he said.

Abdu said the NCC team during the raid confiscated GSM booster equipment found with the bank and that GMT Energy Resources and Club 57 had not only removed the equipment, but had also returned them to their vendors.

He said the next phase of the enforcement would be to visit the vendors who are illegally selling the equipment without permission.