The telecommunication networks shutdown in the first four weeks of September covered the entire Zamfara State in order to check the activities of bandits who had held the state ransom for many years.
Before the shutdown, Governor Bello Mohammed Matawalle had adopted and signed an executive order as part of the stringent measures to curtail the activities of the bandits and their collaborators.
Part of the shutdown measures included closure of all markets across the state and the suspension of business activities at some popular joints in Gusau, the state capital and other strategic places around the state as well as a ban on the activities of black marketers and hawkers of petrol as only motorists and motorbikes can buy petrol at filing stations.
As the residents battled with the stringent measures, the Nigerian Communications Commission shutdown worsened the situation more so as the ban on use of motorcycles across the state from 6:00 am to 8:00 pm was enforced.
The measures had crippled commercial activities to the extent that multitudes of breadwinners could no longer afford feeding their families.
Though the decision of the shutdown of the networks was well applauded by the residents, with full expectations of relief in the successful fight against the bandits.
it thwarted the use of GSM networks by bandits to negotiate ransoms with relatives of their captives, as well as activities of informants.