Supreme Court Stops CBN From Banning Old Naira Notes

The Supreme Court on Wednesday restrained the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) from banning the use of old Naira notes in the country from Friday, February 10, 2023.

In a ruling today by a seven-member panel led by Justice John Okoro, the apex court said Nigerians with old N200, N500, and N1,000 notes should be allowed to transact businesses without a restriction after the deadline fixed by the apex bank.

The CBN had earlier said the old notes would cease to be legal tender from January 31, 2023, but after pressure from various quarters, the deadline was moved forward to February 10.

But the Governors of Kaduna, Kogi, and Zamfara States sought an ex parte order from the Supreme Court to stop the federal government through the CBN or the commercial banks from going ahead with the deadline.

While delivering a ruling in the motion, Justice Okoro approved the “order of interim injunction restraining the federal government through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) or the commercial banks from suspending or determining or ending on February 10, 2023, the time frame with which the now older version of the 200, 500 and 1,000 denomination of the naira may no longer be legal tender pending the hearing and determination of their motion on notice for interlocutory injunction.”