Lagos, July 21, 2024 – A Federal High Court in Lagos has dismissed a suit instituted by Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) challenging the validity of the directive of the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) to block SIM cards not linked to the National Identification Numbers (NIN).
Justice Yelim Bogoro dismissed the suit in his ruling on Friday, saying that the directive was valid considering the undividable and indivisible country’s more significant interest in the rights of individuals within the nation.
The suit was filed against the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Attorney-General of the Federation and the NCC.
SERAP contended that the order preventing over 72 million Nigerian subscribers from accessing services violated the subscribers’ fundamental rights as protected by the constitution.
Akintola Makinde, the Defence Counsel to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, maintained that none of the rights cited by SERAP were absolute since security challenges drove the directive.
He also argued that the figures of kidnap victims are quite disturbing, and one cannot seriously suggest that the need to address the development has not become a pressing social and security issue.
Makinde said that since the use of telephone lines played a crucial role in enabling criminal activities, SERAP could not reasonably oppose measures aimed at utilising technology and accurate data synchronisation to track and apprehend individuals involved in such crimes.
