The February 28 deadline given by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to telecom operators to bar unregistered SIMs has been nullified by a Federal High Court.
The Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has restrained telecom operators in Nigeria from deactivating or barring any line or SIM whose user did not link same to the National Identification Number (NIN).
According to a Channels News report, Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa restrained the telecom operators from taking such action, while ruling on an application filed by a Lagos-based lawyer, Olukoya Ogungbeje.
The applicant, Ogungbeje had sued the Federal Government of Nigeria, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice; MTN Nigeria Communications Plc and Airtel Networks Nigeria Limited, all of whom were listed as respondents before the court.
Specifically, Ogungbeje asked the court for an injunction pending appeal, restraining all the respondents jointly or severally, whether by themselves, their agents, outlets, agencies, privies, officials, servants, men, parastatals, units, organs, or anybody or person however so called, from taking any step or action and from further outright barring, deactivating and or restricting any SIM cards or phone lines, of any Nigerian Citizen, on Feb. 28, 2024, or any other scheduled date, pending the hearing and determination of his appeal at the Court of Appeal of Nigeria.
Sometime in April 2022, Mr Ogungbeje filed a suit against MTN when his telephone lines were barred. The court at the time had dismissed his suit for lack of merit. He subsequently filed an appeal which is still pending at the court of appeal.
After hearing that telecom operators were moving to deactivate subscribers’ lines not linked to NIN in an exercise slated for Feb. 28, Ogungbeje brought his latest application before the court. He told the judge that his application is premised and under Order 26 Rule 1, of the Federal High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules 2019; Section 36 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended); Section 6 (6)(B) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and under the court’s inherent jurisdiction.
He listed 10 grounds for seeking the application which include;
“That sometime in April 2022, the Appellant/Applicant herein took out an Originating Summons against the Respondents challenging the action of the Respondents in undermining the judicial powers of the Court and the Nigerian legal system and thus infringing on the applicant’s fundamental rights
“That this Honourable Court in a well-considered Judgment delivered on the 8th of May 2023 dismissed the appellant/applicant originating summons.
“That the appellant/applicant being dissatisfied with the Judgment has exercised his constitutional right of appeal by lodging a Notice of Appeal against the Judgment of this Honourable Court on the 26th of July 2023 by the lower Court.
“That the Appellant/applicant’s appeal is against the whole decision contained in the Judgment of this Honourable Court
“That the Respondents are aware of the appellant/applicant’s appeal to the Court of Appeal of Nigeria as the Respondents have since been duly served with the Appellant/Applicant’s Notice of Appeal.
“That despite the pendency of the appellant/applicant’s appeal, efforts are in top gear by the respondents specifically on the 28th of February 2024, to ensure further and outright barring, deactivating and restricting of SIM cards and Phone lines of the Applicant and that of Nigerian citizens.
“That the appellant/applicant appeal to the Court of Appeal of Nigeria “has a high degree of success against the Respondents
“There is the need to preserve the res subject matter of the appeal pending the hearing and determination of the Appellant/Applicant appeal at the Court of Appeal of Nigeria.
“That the appellant/applicant is desirously interested in diligently pursuing the instant appeal that has raised a novel and recondite issue substantially jurisprudential constituting an exceptional circumstance in which the Court can grant an application of this nature
“That the Court has the power and jurisdiction to grant application of this nature in the interest of Justice.”
He also supported the motion with a 23 affidavit with a written address.
At the hearing of the matter on February 22, 2024, none of the respondents filed any counter to the motion.
However, after the applicant had moved his application, a lawyer from the Federal Ministry of Justice, pleaded with the court for more time to respond to the application.
This move was vehemently opposed by the applicant, on the ground that all parties were served with all the processes and the hearing notice in the matter, but failed to file their counter affidavits.
After considering the documents placed before the court, Justice Lewis-Allagoa, in his ruling confirmed that all the respondents were duly served. He acceded to the lawyer’s request and restrained the telecom operators in the country from barring, deactivating and or restricting the applicant’s SIM cards or phone Lines, or of any Nigerian Citizen in their exercise slated for February 28, 2024.
Justice Lewis-Allagoa also ruled that his order subsists till the hearing and determination of the appeal filed by the lawyer. (GBN)
