The Minister of Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, has denied directing telecom companies in the country to tamper with networks as the nationwide protests began on Thursday.

Nigerians using MTN, Airtel and other networks began to complain on social media about the unusual slow speeds of browsing.

It has led to suspicions that people within the President Bola Tinubu administration have given an order to the telcoms, so they could hamper the protests.

But Tijani, appearing on Channels TV this evening, said: “There’s no instruction to tamper with (phone) networks.”

Earlier in the day, Tijani frowned at the looting of the National Communication Commission, NCC, building in Kano State.

He said it would be a setback to the federal government’s efforts at encouraging youth employment through technology.