Monday Ubani, former second vice president of Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), has sued the Federal Government (FG), the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Nigeria Communication Commission (NCC) and the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy over the two weeks ultimatum given to telecommunication operators to deregister all Subscriber Identification Modules (SIM) cards, not registered with National Identity Number (NIN).
In the suit filed at the federal High Court, Lagos judicial division in the matter of application by Monday Onyekachi Ubani, to enforce his fundamental rights, and in the matter of fundamental rights (enforcement procedure) rules 2009 made by the chief justice of Nigeria pursuant to section 46(3) of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, between: Mr. Monday Onyekachi Ubani, the applicant and Federal Government of Nigeria, Attorney General of the Federation, Nigeria Communication Commission and the Minister of Communication and Digital economy, as Respondents, in the origination summons, brought pursuant to Section 44(1), 39(1)(2) and 33(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, under the inherent jurisdiction of the court as preserved by section 6 of the 1999 constitution.
While calling for an order of the honorable court to halt the said two weeks ultimatum given by the Respondents to telecommunication operators to block all SIM Cards, the lawyer also called for an order directing the respondents to extend the deadline for the registration of SIM Cards with NIN for at least one year or to such period of time as the court may consider reasonable.
Ubani insisted that the two weeks, (16th December, 2020 to 30th December, 2020) ultimatum given to telecommunications operators by the respondents to block all SIM cards that are not registered with NIN, is grossly inadequate and would not only work severe hardship, but would 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 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 moveable property.
