- Saturday, April 27, 2024
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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).
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 had 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 telecoms
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 pursuant to
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 includes;
“That sometimes 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 paragraph-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 applicants 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.
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