Customers Express Dissatisfaction Over Demand For Money By MTN Staff For SIM Swap

MTN customers have expressed dissatisfaction over the N1,000 demand by MTN staff at their offices for SIM Swap or replacement.

Customers at the Bada House, Abule-Egba branch of MTN office in Lagos State confirmed during an interview that Abule-Egba, Egbeda, and other branches in Lagos are known to demand a compulsory fee of NGN 1,000 after the SIM card has been swapped or replaced.

Investigations revealed that the only amount required for SIM swap/replacement is N100 which will be credited to the replaced SIM number and not a compulsory fee of N1,000

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Customers seated outside MTN office at Abule-Egba

One of the customers, Mrs Abioye Adejoke, lamented the ill-treatment administered by the network providers as they attend to those who pay while neglecting others to sit outside in the rain and sun, waiting to swap/replace their SIM. She described the treatment as inhumane.

"I went to Ikotun branch and I had to leave the place to Abule-Egba because there was partiality there, the staff attend to some people and neglect the others, Adejoke said. "I have been coming to this Abule-Egba branch for two days and I'm yet to be attended to."

It was also gathered that hoodlums have taken advantage of the situation to demand money from customers who visit the branches by giving out numbers to customers who can afford to pay, while those who cannot are given numbers from 50 upward, which automatically means that they will not be attended to as just 40 persons are attended to per day, as confirmed by Uzi Ijoma Anthonia, another customer.

One of those collecting money at MTN office Abule-egba

"The first time, I came here by 7 and I got no.34, then I saw a man who drove in with his car and he collected number 8. This made me speak out but people around told me I could have bribed the guys.

"Today, I came around 5:30 and got number 16 but I met just 4 people. Then I was told again that they keep numbers for some special people; the same thing that happened the last time I came," Anthonia said.

"I believe this is a general thing in MTN offices because I have visited three other offices like Egbeda, Ikotun, and now Abule-Egba."

Fact Check.

This extortion and inhumane treatment from MTN staff at the Abule Egba branch means that the branch makes at least N40,000 from customers every day for SIM Swap/Replacement which is supposed to cost N1000 per person.

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Please drop a comment and tell us your own story of how Network Providers have treated you.