A severe act of arson targeting underground telecommunications tunnels in Wuse has caused a catastrophic failure of internet services for multiple providers, including BatWifi, one of Nigeria’s fastest growing and reliable service providers and MTN.
Critical fiber-optic cables were not just cut but set ablaze in the subterranean conduits on Tuesday, an incident witnessed by Spear News.
The fire within the confined tunnels inflicted extensive, smoldering damage far beyond simple cable severance.
At the scene, Spear News found the tunnels still ablaze, with no emergency crews present to ventilate them or assess the charred infrastructure of multiple internet service providers (ISPs).
In an exclusive statement made available to Spear News, the management of BatWifi, which first publicly raised the alarm, condemned the act as “domestic terrorism against our digital economy.”
“This was not mere vandalism; this was arson with intent to destroy. Setting a fire in an underground tunnel is incredibly dangerous and shows a reckless intent to cause maximum, lasting damage. The heat has destroyed cables for multiple providers, meaning restoration will not be a matter of simple splicing. Entire cable runs must be replaced”, a BatWifi spokesperson stated
The spokesperson confirmed that the intense heat had fused and compromised cables across different providers, making the restoration effort a coordinated and lengthy logistical challenge. Service is expected to be disrupted for an extended period.
The attack also severely impacted MTN’s infrastructure, with sources confirming extensive fire and smoke damage to their cables in the affected tunnel.
The incident has triggered an urgent call for a high-level government response. BatWifi’s management, in their discussion with Spear News, appealed directly to national security agencies.
“This is a criminal escalation from cutting to burning. It poses risks beyond connectivity, including potential structural and public safety hazards,” the BatWifi spokesperson emphasised.
“We urge the government to treat this as a major crime scene. We need a forensic investigation, heightened security for all critical infrastructure sites, and the perpetrators brought to justice. The economic impact on Wuse will be severe”, the company said.
The incident has left thousands of residential and corporate subscribers in a communications blackout, paralysing business operations and highlighting the acute vulnerability of the nation’s buried digital arteries to malicious attack.
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