By Onyewuchi Ojinnaka
Justice Maureen Onyetenu of a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has granted the application seeking to extend the closing date for the National Identity Number (NIN) registration.
In her ruling on the suit filed by former 2nd Vice President of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) Monday Ubani, challenging the closing date, the judge ordered the extension by two months.
Defendants in the suit filed by a rights lawyer, Monday Ubani are the Federal Government, Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Nigerian Communications Commission, (NCC) and the Minister of Communication and Digital Economy.
In the suit, Ubani had contended that the initial two weeks ultimatum which was later extended to April 6, 2021 given by NCC to all telecommunication operators to block SIM Cards of Nigerians who have not registered their SIM Card with NIN if allowed, will infringe on his constitutionally guaranteed right to freedom of expression, right to own moveable property and right to life.
He therefore prayed the court for an order halting the said ultimatum and extending the deadline.
Other prayers made by Ubani include; “A declaration that the ultimatum given to telecommunications operators by the 1st, 3rd and 4th Respondents to block all Subscriber Identification Modules (SIM) cards that are not registered with NIN, is grossly inadequate and will not only cause severe hardship but will likely infringe on the fundamental rights of the Applicant and millions of other Nigerians to freedom of expression as guaranteed by Section 39(1)(2) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) as well as violate Section 44(1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) which prohibits the compulsory acquisition of right or interest over the moveable property.
“ A declaration that in view of the Covid-19 pandemic and the rising cases in Nigeria presently, the deadline was given by the 1st, 3rd and 4th Respondents to the Applicant and over 200 million Nigerians to register their SIM Cards with NIN, will lead to a rush, thereby resulting to clustering of the Applicant and other Nigerian citizens in a NIN registration centre, subjecting him to the possibility of easily contracting the Covid-19 virus, and such will amount to a violation of his fundamental right to life as protected by Section 33(1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).
“An order halting the said ultimatum given by the 1st, 3rd and 4th Respondents to telecommunication operators to block all SIM Cards that are not registered with NIN.
In her ruling, the judge granted all the prayers made by Ubani.