SERAP Drags Buhari To Court For Failure To Unblock 72m Phone Lines

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has filed a lawsuit against President Muhammadu Buhari for his failure to unblock the phone lines of over 72 million telecommunication subscribers barred from making calls.

SERAP’s suit followed the recent directive by the Federal Government to telecommunications companies to block outgoing calls on all unlinked lines, as the deadline for the verification expired on March 31.

Following the directive, over 72 million subscribers have now been barred from making calls. In the suit number FHC/L/ CS/711/2022 filed last week at the Federal High Court in Lagos, SERAP is seeking: “an order setting aside the directive by President Buhari to telecommunications companies to block outgoing calls on all unlinked lines without due process of law, and for being inconsistent with the requirements of legality, necessity and proportionality.”

SERAP is also seeking “an order of perpetual injunction restraining President Buhari and the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, from unlawfully directing telecommunications companies to block outgoing calls on all unlinked lines, without due process and in violation of Nigerians’ human rights.”

-Independent