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9mobile customers raise alarm over network shutdown, blockage from porting, call out NCC

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Thousands of 9mobile customers are currently experiencing hardship due to the telecom operator’s decision to block porting requests.

Ekwutosblog gathered that for over a month, 9mobile subscribers have not been able to receive or make calls, send text or use their Sim card.

It was also learnt that the Sim card currently shows ‘No service’ or ‘emergency calls only’ nationwide.

 

A subscribers who spoke to our correspondents said the issue with the 9mobile network began last year and has now worsened. Subscribers also accused the telecom operator of blocking their porting requests.

Investigation by Ekwutosblog in major parts of the FCT revealed that there was no service while using a 9mobile sim.

A visit to the 9mobile Office in Kubwa and the Central Area also showed that there was no business activities going on due to unavailability of network.

 

A visibly angry subscriber who spoke to our correspondent said he has lost business due to the issue. He also called on the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, to sanction 9mobile.

One of the subscribers, identified as Ifiok Samson said, ”NCC needs to sanction 9mobile and issue a directive that they should allow their customers to port to other networks.

“We have been through a lot since last year. The network has been terrible and it has worsened since 2025.

”We barely have service for two days in a week. This is my main line and I have tried to port since January but it appears that 9mobile blocked its customers from porting. When I visited their office, their representative told me they had no network. They said this lackadaisical, like it isn’t their main purpose of doing business.

”This shows that the issue is really bad. Why should customers bear the brunt of these bad services and be forced to remain with 9mobile? Please help us. We have called on NCC and FCCPC on social media, yet no one has issued a directive to this effect. We are losing money daily due to our poor choice of using 9mobile. As a regulator please save us from this bondage.”

Here are some comments Ekwutosblog gathered from X

 

@Ifoye, NgComCommission, ”9mobile network has been down in Ibadan for over 2 weeks with no recovery date in sight. It is also impossible to port 9mobile numbers to other networks because they require 9mobile network to be on before that can be done. Kindly see to this because the implications are many for bank account owners, business, applicants, clients with prepaid subscriptions, etc.”

@DforDust, “9mobile has been unavailable for a month, a whole month. There’s no regulatory body dragging them, there’s no message from 9mobile about what’s going on. You know how many businesses some people would have lost because of that?!”

@PrettyaganahHello NCC, Please help us in Kano. 9mobile has been down for almost a month now and we have not been informed about it and nobody is doing or saying anything. We have lost a lot of business calls, especially being our primary lines. Please intervene.”

@motexmaryam, ”I have not used WhatsApp for almost 24 hrs because I can’t verify my number with mobile.Calls, SMS nothing is entering this God forsaking sim! Tried it at 4am still no network.”

@tony_okey, ”Please, you may have to temporarily waive the authorization code requirement for porting. I haven’t had any signal for months, so I can’t port from 9mobile. Please allow us to port from 9mobile in peace.No calls or SMS. Thank God for WhatsApp.”

@SanSparkles, ‘You guys have frustrated some of us enough. Kindly reinstate your porting services so those of us who want to port from 9mobile to another network can swiftly do that.Shutting your porting service is a selfish act.”

@aysomethin, ”Where is NCC the regulators? I went to MTN Yesterday to try to port away from this 9mobile network but was told they can’t do anything until 9mobile is back on the grid. Now I am being held ransom by a telcom. Shame.”

@suleman_Tanimu, ”9mobile needs to do one thing, at least make your porting service available so that customers can port to other preferred service providers. I’ve been visiting MTN office in Abuja for the past 3 weeks and the customer care keeps telling me that 9mobile porting service is down.”

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Real reasons for partial water disruption in FCT revealed – Wike

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The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, on Sunday said the present lack of water supply being experienced in the Abuja city centre and some satellite towns was due to a major rehabilitation of two of the four water treatment plants responsible for the production and supply of water to the residents.

Wike’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, said that water supply to the residents will be rationed for a period of two weeks, as only two water treatment plants will be in use, while the other two are undergoing rehabilitation.

A statement by Olayinka appealed to the residents to bear with the FCTA, assuring that rehabilitation of the two plants, which is to ensure better service delivery will be completed before two weeks.

The Minister also said that to mitigate the effects of the partial shutdown of water production and supply during the sallah celebration, the two plants being rehabilitated will be temporarily put on to supply water to residents during the sallah festive period.

He explained: “The FCT Water Board operates four water treatment plants of 30,000m3/hour, which are divided into Phases 1, 2, 3 and 4.

“As a result of the inefficiency of the plants, which are currently producing below their installed capacity, contract was awarded for their rehabilitation to Messrs SCC Nigeria Limited.

“The rehabilitation works have reached an advanced stage in Phases 1 and 2 where the electro-mechanical equipment, which is the prime mover of the treatment plants are to be replaced and reinstalled.

“This warranted a total shutdown of the two plants, which are interconnected.

“However, Phases 3 and 4 water treatment plants are operational but won’t sustain, meet or cater for the demand of the populace.

“Therefore, what is being experienced is a partial shutdown, not a total shutdown of the entire potable water supply to the residents of FCT as two of the water treatment plants are still in operation. But there is partial disruption to water production and supply to the residents.

“SCC is, however, working 24/7 to ensure that the works are concluded before the scheduled time.

“Consequently, in order to minimize the adverse effects on the FCT residents, the Water Board has made a time table on rationing by alternating between Lines 1 and 2 of the Distribution network.

“Residents are therefore urged to store enough water to cater for their needs during this period as supply will be rationed.”

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Lagos beats Istanbul, Pune to emerge fastest-growing tech city in 2025 – Report

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A popular Netherlands-based research firm Dealroom.co, has named Nigeria’s Lagos as the fastest-growing tech ecosystem in the world for 2025, ahead of Turkey’s Istanbul and India’s Pune.

The firm disclosed this in its Global Tech Ecosystem Index 2025 report recently released.

The report explained that Lagos emerged top fastest-growing tech city because it plays home to 5 unicorns, including Interswitch, Flutterwave, Jumia, OPay, and Moniepoint.

The report said Lagos and other cities in the category are giving rise to a new generation of tech companies.

“This year, Lagos (#1) is topping the list, having created 5 unicorns and grown its ecosystem valuation 11.6x since 2017 despite a smaller economy,” the report stated.

Ekwutosblog reports Turkey’s Istanbul, followed by India’s Pune, came behind Lagos as the second and third fastest-growing tech cities in the world.

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Indian YouTuber arrested for allegedly spying for Pakistan

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Indian police have arrested Jyoti Malhotra, a popular YouTuber and travel influencer from Haryana, on allegations of spying for Pakistan and maintaining suspicious links with Pakistani intelligence operatives.

The arrest, confirmed by Haryana Police, comes amid heightened military tensions between India and Pakistan earlier this month.

Authorities say Malhotra had traveled to Pakistan several times—her most recent visit being in March 2025—and was allegedly in contact with Ahsan-ur-Rahim, a Pakistan High Commission official who was expelled from India on 13 May over espionage concerns.

Speaking to the press, Shashank Kumar Sawan, Superintendent of Police in Hisar, claimed Malhotra had been in continuous communication with Pakistani operatives, frequently traveled to Pakistan on sponsored trips, and was possibly part of a wider network.

She is also under investigation for potential links to the Pahalgam attack, which left several tourists dead in Indian-administered Kashmir earlier this month.

Malhotra’s father has denied all accusations, insisting that his daughter traveled to Pakistan only after obtaining proper visas and permissions.

“She is not a spy. She is a travel vlogger who documented her experiences,” he said.

On her social media accounts, Malhotra describes herself as a “modern girl with old ideas.” She boasts 377,000 subscribers on YouTube and over 133,000 followers on Instagram, where she shares travel content from India and abroad, including visits to Bangladesh, China, Thailand, UAE, and Indonesia.

However, police have raised questions about how she financed these international trips, suggesting her lifestyle doesn’t align with her known sources of income.

Authorities say Malhotra first met Ahsan-ur-Rahim in 2023, when she visited the Pakistan High Commission in Delhi to apply for a visa.

Her last video featuring Pakistan was uploaded in March, showing her attending a Ramadan dinner at the High Commission.

Other videos show her visiting Hindu and Sikh temples, shopping in local markets, and interacting with residents in Pakistan.

Her arrest follows a diplomatic row between India and Pakistan, during which both countries expelled each other’s embassy staff over accusations of espionage and improper conduct.

Arrests on spying charges are not uncommon between the two rival nations.

Earlier this month, on 7 May, India carried out airstrikes on what it described as “terror infrastructure” inside Pakistan, in response to the Pahalgam attack.

Pakistan denied any involvement, and after several days of border skirmishes, a ceasefire was brokered by the U.S. President Donald Trump on 10 May.

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