Vandals cut 4 main NITEL cables in Lagos zone

Remmy Nweke

As Nigerians are still in the euphoria of sale of the national carrier, Nigerian Telecommunications Limited (NITEL), last Monday, vandals have cut short the excitement following their visit to the telco, cutting and removing four big-capacity cables from its outlet at Alakija bus stop along the Lagos –Badagry Expressway.

Unknown persons, according to the officials of NITEL, mid last week, cut and removed four big-capacity cables from a NITEL manhole at Alakija bus stop along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway.

Confirming this development, Public Relations Manager at NITEL, Lagos zone, Mr. Ig Nwangwu, said the cables provided telecommunications service to over 1,000 customers spread over FESTAC Town, Satellite including Navy Town, Abule Ado and the Trade Fair Complex.

Other areas affected, he said, are ASPMDA, Agric., Alaba and Lagos State University (LASU) Ojo main campus.

Mr. Nwangwu, also said, a total length of about 2.1 kilometres of both 400 and 800-pair cables is being replaced in those areas to ensure early restoration of normal service as soon as possible.

He gave the estimated cost of this replacement exercise in the neighbourhood of N23 million.

As said by him, the cost excludes the immeasurable inconvenience now being suffered by “our customers in those areas as a result of the disruption of their telecommunications service as well as the resultant loss of revenue to NITEL.”

NITEL, he said, therefore, regrets this inconvenience to its valued customers and other telephone users and implore them to bear with the telco.

“We are vigorously pursuing the repair of the damage while police investigation continues with a view to tracking down those behind the acts of economic sabotage and wanton vandalism on NITEL property,” he assured.

Emphasising that it will be similar acts of vandalisation was visited on NITEL external line plant network in Lagos where it was recorded earlier this year (2006) in Idumota on the Lagos Island and then Shogunle and Ijora on Lagos Mainland.

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