Governor Aminu Bello Masari of Katsina State has sent a written application to the Nigerian Telecommunications Commission (NCC) requesting it to restore telephone services in ten of the 17 Local Government Areas affected by the ban, which was instituted about four months ago.

The Director General, Media to the State Governor, Abdu Labaran Malumfashi, disclosed this in a press statement, early hours of today, Friday.

Labaran identified the ten local government areas where the ban has been lifted to include: Kurfi, Dutsinma, Matazu, Musawa, Malumfashi, Dandume, Bakori, Funtua, Kafur and Danja.

However, he said telecom services remain banned in the following seven local governments: Faskari, Sabuwa, Batsari, Safana, Kankara, Danmusa and Jibia.

According to Labaran, the state government, “decided to suspend the ban in the ten local governments as a result of the return to near normalcy, even as efforts have remained on the front burner to ensure maximum return of peace in every part of the state.”

Recently, the Commissioner of Police and Chairman of the Implementation and Enforcement Committee on Security Challenges in the state, CP. Sanusi Buba, in a statement made available by the spokesman of the command, Superintendent Gambo Isah, said the government has soft pedalled on the ban on sales of small ruminants such as goats and sheep in markets across the State.

Precisely, on the 31st of August, 2021, Governor Masari, considering the rising security challenges in the state, signed into law, a ‘Security Challenge Containment Order’ to address the menace.