The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has upheld that February 28 is the deadline for cutting phone connections without National Identity Numbers (NIN).
Reuben Mouka, the NCC’s head of public affairs, revealed this on Monday. This comes after the commission ordered carriers to limit outbound calls on SIM cards that have not yet filed their NINs in April 2022.
Mouka reiterated the position of the NCC, saying, “I am not aware of any extension and assured there won’t be. It’s a truth that the deadline hasn’t changed, and I’m at a loss for words. The deadline of February 28 remains in effect.
Telecommunications companies are prohibited by the Federal High Court of Lagos from deactivating or blocking any line or SIM that isn’t connected to their NINs.
Channels TV reports that while making a decision on a motion submitted by attorney Olukoya Ogungbeje, headquartered in Lagos, Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa placed restrictions on the telecoms.
Ogungbeje filed a lawsuit against MTN in April 2022 after his SIMs were blocked, however the court at the time dismissed the case due to lack of evidence. His appeal was submitted, and it is presently being considered by the appeals court.
Ogungbeje filed a lawsuit against the Federal Government of Nigeria, the Attorney General of the Federation, the Minister of Justice, MTN Nigeria Communications Plc, and Airtel Networks Nigeria Limited. Now, in an attempt to prevent the Federal Government of Nigeria, the Attorney General of the Federation, the Minister of Justice, MTN Nigeria Communications Plc, and Airtel Networks Nigeria Limited from further outright barring, deactivating, or restricting any SIM cards or phone lines on February 28, 2024, or any other scheduled date, Ogungbeje has requested an injunction pending his appeal at the Court of Appeal of Nigeria.
In granting the attorney’s motion, Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa placed restrictions on telecoms. Additionally, the judge decided that his order would remain in effect until the lawyer’s appeal was heard and decided.
The NCC requested in a December 2023 notification that telcos prohibit SIMs with less than five lines linked to an unverified NIN by April 15, 2024; SIMs with submitted NINs but unverified by March 29, 2024; and SIMs without submitted NINs by February 28, 2024.
It stated that prior to their lines being unbarred, all impacted subscribers must be validated using biometrics and biodata. Telecom customers have requested an extension from the Federal Government as these deadlines approach, particularly for the first one.
A one-month delay will guarantee that more individuals may obtain their NINs and link their SIMs prior to the deadline, according to Adeolu Ogunbanjo, the National Association of Telecoms Subscribers, who revealed this information to BusinessDay on Monday.
“We request that they move up the deadline to March 31. The NIMC centers are still experiencing lines. Although these centers make an effort, they are unable to serve everyone,” he noted.
Over 72.77 million active mobile subscribers were impacted by the NCC’s April 2022 regulation to ban outgoing calls. At that point, a NIN had been connected to almost 125 million lines. The number of SIMs associated with a NIN has not been updated by the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) since that time.
