A Pressure group under the umbrella of Edo Civil Society Organisation (EDOCSO) has filed a legal suit the federal government’s directive on all mobile line disconnection over inability to link their National Identification Numbers (NIN). At the Federal High Court sitting in Benin, Edo State with the suit Number: FHC/B/CS/13/2020 was led by counsel to the plaintiffs, Barr. Dele Igbinedion.
A copy of the suit, which was made available to journalists in Benin-city, named the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC), the Attorney-General of the Federation as first, second, third and fourth defendants respectively.
Others joined in the suit are the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) as fifth defendant; Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) as sixth defendant, and the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) as seventh defendant.
Igbinedion, on behalf of his clients (members of EDOCSO), kicked against the directive that all mobile phone subscribers should link their phone numbers to their NIN is not a breach of his clients’ rights to privacy as enshrined by the Section 37 of 1999 Constitution (as amended).
He further urged the court to declare the directive as breach of his clients’ rights to privacy, and should consequently set aside the said directive by the federal government.
“An order of this honourable court setting aside the directive by the defendants for being utra vires in their powers, and therefore unconstitutional, null and of no effect,” he averred.
