Old Naira Notes Rejection: Confusion deepens as Lagos judiciary rejects old naira notes; Niger orders arrest; Zamfara Anti-Thuggery Operatives enforce collection

Account officials at the Lagos state Judiciary on Monday stopped collecting old naira notes as payment for the filing of court processes.

The decision of the state is not unconected with the directive from the official bank of the judiciary – Polaris bank PLC – to reject old notes deposited by the Court at the Bank on Monday, on the grounds that the old notes were no more legal tender.

Some observers say this development has deepened the crisis on ground as Nigerians continue to grapple with the difficulty in accessing the new naira notes as well as major network glitches in opting for e-banking.

It would be recalled that the Supreme Court’s interim order on February 8, 2023 restrained the CBN from going ahead with the enforcement of its 10 February deadline for the use of the old naira note.

The Supreme Court had last Wednesday ordered the CBN not to put an end to the use of old naira notes on 10 February as earlier announced.

A seven-member panel of the court, led by justice John Okoro, gave the order of interim injunction amid acute scarcity of the newly redesigned N200, N500, and N1,000 currency notes.

The court gave the order temporarily based on an application filed by three northern states being controlled by the All Progressive s Congress (APC), Kogi, Kaduna and Zamfara States.

Meanwhile, the Zamfara Anti-Thuggery operatives has threatened to shutdown petrol filling stations, eateries, motor parks, shops and other businesses that refuse to accept the old Naira notes in the state.

The Commander, Zamfara State Anti-Thuggery Bello Bakyaswa gave the warning when he visited some filling stations, Grain market and other places in Gusau, the state Capital

“Today, we visited some filling stations including the NNPC mega station, grains market and other business centres to enforce the directive, and thank God we are impressed with what we see. He said.

He said the visit is to monitor those rejecting the old currency notes,which according to him has continued to add to the sufferings Nigerians are passing through since the Introduction of the new currency notes

The threat is coming barely forty eight hours after the State Governor Bello Matawalle ordered the arrest of anyone who refuses to accept the old two hundred, Five hundred and one thousand naira notes before the 15th of Febuary this year

Mr. Matawalle at an event over the weekend in Gusau, Insist that the old Naira Notes remain legal tender and urges traders and other residents to accept the old currency.

In a similar pushback, Governor of Niger state, Abubakar Bello, has ordered the arrest of residents who are rejecting the old naira notes.

In a statement on Tuesday, secretary to the state government, Ahmad Matane, said the government has observed that some residents, particularly traders in the state, were refusing to accept the old notes. He stated that the old naira currency remains a legal tender, warning that residents found rejecting it should be punished according to the law.

The situation according to him, has brought hardship to many citizens and added that residents who refuse to accept it would be arrested and prosecuted.

Matane urged the people to carry on with their legal businesses and report persons rejecting the old notes to security agencies in the state.

Last December, the CBN introduced the new notes amid efforts to fight corruption, terrorism, counterfeiting and related crimes.