A Federal High Court Lagos on Monday, fixed Feb.15 to hear a suit challenging the ongoing process of linking the National Identification Number (NIN) with Mobile lines.
Justice Mohammed Liman fixed the date for notices to be served on all parties in the suit after the plaintiff Chief Malcom Omirhobo had informed the court of his process.
The News Agency of Nigeria ( NAN) reports that Omirhobo sued the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) alongside others over alleged coercion on citizens to link their NIN within a stipulated time frame, without adherence to Covid 19 protocols.
Joined as defendants in the suit are the Attorney General of the Federation, Minister of Communications and Digital Economy; Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC); the DG NIMC, and the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA).
Other defendants are: MTN Nigeria Communications Plc; GLOBACOM Ltd; Airtel Networks Ltd (Airtel Nigeria) and the Emerging Markets Telecommunication Services Ltd, EMTS 9 Mobile.
The applicant who is suing for himself and on behalf of the Nigerian public, brought his suit under the provisions of the fundamental rights enforcement rules enshrined in the 1999 constitution.
When the case was called on Monday, Omirhobo announced appearance as appearing in person, and informed the court of his ex parte motion as well as an affidavit of urgency attached.
He told the court that in the midst of the prevailing Covid 19 pandemic it was too risky to proceed with the process, adding that further steps should be stopped, pending determination of the suit.
Justice Mohammed Liman then asked the plaintiff if he had any written document specifying the deadline for the registration and the plaintiff told the court that there were online publications to the effect that the new deadline extension was Feb. 9 .
The court consequently, ordered that all parties be served with the processes and he fixed Feb. 15 to hear both the motion for interlocutory injunction as well as the substantive suit, while he struck out the ex parte motion.
