Court Stops FG From Blocking SIM Cards Not Linked to NIN by April

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An order has been given to the federal authorities not to block sim playing cards not linked to the Nationwide Identification Quantity by April.

The order was given by the Federal Excessive Court sitting in Lagos State.

The Ministry of Communications and Digital Financial system had, via the Nigerian Communications Fee, requested operators to block all SIM playing cards not linked to NIN by April 9, 2021.

This resulted in folks disregarding Covid-19 protocols as they trooped to places of work of the Nationwide Id Administration Fee (NIMC) to get registered.

Nevertheless, a former second Nationwide Vice-President of the Nigerian Bar Affiliation and human rights lawyer, Mr Monday Ubani, filed an originating movement and requested the court docket to cease the Nigerian Communications Fee (NCC) from disconnecting all SIM Cards not linked to NINs, Punch reviews.

The primary to fourth defendants within the go well with are the Federal Authorities, Lawyer Normal of the Federation, The NCC and the Minister of Communication and Digital Financial system.

Ubani sought 4 reliefs together with an order that the two-week ultimatum is insufficient and won’t solely trigger him hardship however may even infringe on his elementary proper to freedom of speech and proper to personal property as supplied beneath sections 39(1) and 44(1) of the Structure of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).

He additionally sought an order of the court docket extending the deadline.

Delivering judgment on March 23, 2021, Justice M.A Onyetenu, ordered that the deadline be prolonged by two months from the day of the judgement.

The court docket dominated that the ultimatum of April 9, 2021, be halted because the timeline is grossly insufficient and won’t solely trigger extreme hardship, however will doubtless infringe on the elemental rights of Nigerians to freedom of expression as assured by Part 39(1)(2) and Part 44(1) of the 1999 Structure.

The choose additional declared that in view of the COVID-19 pandemic and the rising instances in Nigeria presently, the deadline given to over 200 million Nigerians to register their SIM playing cards with NIN, will lead to a rush, thereby leading to clustering of Nigerian residents in a NIN registration centre, subjecting them to the opportunity of simply contracting COVID-19.

The judgment learn partially, “I due to this fact make the next orders: An order halting the deadline ultimatum of 9/4/21 given by the first (Federal Authorities) third (NCC) and 4th (Ministry of Communications and Digital Financial system) respondents to block all SIM playing cards that aren’t registered with the Nationwide Id Numbers on the expiration of deadline.

“An order directing the first, third and 4th respondents to lengthen the deadline for the registration of SIM playing cards with NIN for a minimum of one other two months from the date of this judgment.”

In a letter addressed to the Lawyer-Normal and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, the plaintiff requested him to direct the related businesses to adjust to the court docket judgment.

Within the letter titled, ‘Notification to adjust to judgment in FHC/L/CS/1834/2020’, Ubani requested the AGF to prevail on the Minister of Communications and Digital Financial system, Isa Pantami, to rethink the deadline.

The letter learn partially, “I due to this fact urge you to use your good places of work to advise the Minister for Communications and Digital Financial system, to respect our judiciary by complying with the above acknowledged orders of the court docket. I additional attraction to you to advise the honourable minister to assessment his stand on the ultimatum for the registration of SIM Cards with NIN past the period declared by the honourable court docket to a minimum of a 12 months.”

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