The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has sued President Muhammadu Buhari and two others for allegedly tracking communications of Nigerians.

Joined in the suit are the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, (SAN) and Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed.

In the case filed during the weekend at the Federal High Court, Abuja by its lawyers, Kolawole Oluwadare and Kehinde Oyewumi, the organisation asked the legal entity to declare illegal and unconstitutional the plan by the administration to “track, intercept and monitor WhatsApp messages, phone calls, and text messages of Nigerians and other people, as it severely threatens and violates the right to the preservation of privacy.”

The suit followed the proposal in the Supplementary Appropriation Act signed in July 2021 to spend N4.87 billion to monitor private calls and messages. The amount is part of the N895.8 billion supplementary budget approved by the National Assembly.

No date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit numbered, FHC/ABJ/CS/1240/2021.