Justice Yelim Bogoro of the Federal High Court in Lagos has dismissed a lawsuit filed by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) challenging the presidential directive to link SIM cards with National Identification Numbers (NIN).
This directive, which affects over 72 million subscribers, was implemented to enhance national security and combat crime.
SERAP argued that the directive violated fundamental rights, including freedom of expression and association. However, federal government counsel Akintola Makinde defended the policy, highlighting its necessity in addressing the critical issues of insecurity and kidnapping, which pose significant threats to Nigeria’s stability.
Makinde emphasized that criminals often use telephones to carry out kidnappings, and accurate data synchronization through SIM-NIN linkage is essential to track and prevent such crimes. He presented alarming statistics on kidnapping victims to underscore the urgency of the directive.
Nnamdi Oragwu, representing the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), argued that SERAP did not provide sufficient evidence to support their claims. He asserted that the NCC’s actions were constitutional and that individual rights could be limited for the greater good of national peace, stability, unity, and security.
Justice Bogoro upheld the government’s position, ruling that the SIM-NIN linkage policy is justifiable. The court concluded that the interests of national unity, stability, and security outweigh individual rights in this context.
