Buhari tells Zuma - MTN's delay in sim registration caused Nigeria 10,000 lives

                       

President Mohammadu Buhari has blamed network provider, MTN for the loss of 10,000 lives due to the delay in the registration of sim cards . Speaking at a joint press conference with the visiting South African president, Mr. Jacob Zuma at the presidential villa, Abuja ,Buhari defended the $3.9b fine on MTN by the Nigeria National Communication NCC..

He said:

“This is the first time I will personally as a president be making a public comment about it. The concern of the federal government is basically on the security and not the fine imposed on MTN. You know how the unregistered GSM are being used by terrorists. 

“And between 2009 and today, at least 10,000 Nigerians were killed by Boko Haram. That was why NCC asked MTN, Glo and the rest of them to register GSM. Unfortunately, MTN was very, very slow and contributed to the casualties”.

The South African company has so far paid $250 million..