Old naira notes are still legal tender – Supreme Court

The Supreme Court has said its February 8 order which suspended the implementation of the February 10 deadline ban on the use of old 200, 500 and 1000 naira notes still subsist.

The court made the clarification on Wednesday, February 15, shortly after adjourning a suit filed by some state governments to challenge the naira redesign policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

The Supreme Court adjourned the case till Wednesday, February 22 for a hearing of the consolidated suits by 10 states including Kogi, Kaduna, Zamfara States, among others.

The court made the clarification following complaint by lawyer to Kaduna, Kogi and Zamfara states, Abdulhakeem Mustapha (SAN) that the Federal Government and its agencies have failed to comply with the order and have allegedly directed the rejection of the old notes.

Mustapha said the plaintiff filed a notice of none-compliance with the order of the court order made on February 8. And demanded that the court take action against the respondent to protect the dignity of the court.

“That order has been flouted by the government. We are talking of executive lawlessness here. We have filed an affidavit to that effect…We want the court to renew the order for parties to be properly guided,” he said.

Justice John Okoro, who presided over a seven-member panel of the court, asked Mustapha to filed a proper application to put forward his complaints and to enable the respondent respond appropriately.

According to Okoro, there was no need for a renewal of the court’s order since the order made by the court on February 8 was made pending the determination of the motion for injunctions filed by the plaintiff.

Recall that CBN on Tuesday, February 14, said the old 200, 500 and 1000 naira notes are no longer legal tender in the country since Friday, February 10, 2023 despite the Supreme Court order.