Court has extended NIN registration deadline.
GoldenNewsNg reports that the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial city, has ordered the extension of the linking of the National Identity Number to telephone lines’ deadline by two months.
The extension was granted by Justice Maureen Onyetenu, who delivered the ruling in the fundamental right suit filed by a lawyer, Monday Ubani.
This online news platform under action was taken against the Federal Government led by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Other parties joined to the matter were the Attorney General of the Federation, the Nigerian Communications Commission, and the Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami.
Barrister Ubani argued that the deadline given to service providers to block people’s SIM cards yet to link their lines with the NIN violated the constitutionally protected rights to freedom of expression, right to own moveable property, and right to life.
The Nigerian lawyer sought that the court halt the ultimatum and extend the NIN registration deadline.
Ubani posited in his argument that the rush to register lines increased his chances and millions of Nigerians contracting COVID-19. As such, it was a violation of his right to life.
This is the fifth extension for the NIN-SIM integration deadline.
Meanwhile, GoldenNewsNg had reported previous NIN registration deadline moved from December 30 to January 19, then February 9, and another eight-week extension scheduled for April 6.
NIN Registration Deadline: What We Know
With the new judgment, the NIN registration deadline which was scheduled for April 6 will now be expected to end early in June, 2021. This means the new NIN registration deadline should be June 5 or 6.
