New naira notes: Obey Supreme Court injunction or risk jail time – Group tells CBN Governor

National Democratic Front (NDF) has urged the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Godwin Emefiele to obey the recent Supreme Court injunction or risk going to jail.

It was reported  that a seven-man panel led by Justice John Okoro had on Wednesday, granted an interim injunction restraining the Federal government, CBN and commercial banks from implementing the 10th February deadline for the old N200, N500 and N1000 naira notes to stop being a legal tender.

Our correspondent learnt that the ruling was sequel to a motion ex-parte filed on 3rd February 2023 by three governors from the northern region.

The three governors from Kaduna, Kogi, and Zamfara, through their counsel, AbdulHakeem Mustapha (SAN), had prayed the Supreme Court to halt the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) naira redesign policy.

NDF while expressing satisfaction with the injunction, insisted that Emefiele owes Nigerians explanations on how to implement the policy without any uproar in the country.

In a statement signed by its President, Abdulkadir Suleiman, the NDF applauded the three governors among whom are; Yahaya Bello (Kogi), Nasir El-Rufai (Kaduna), and Bello Matawalle (Zamfara) for instituting the suit.

The statement made available to newsmen on Friday claimed that the implementation of the redesigned currency notes is negatively affecting the majority of the citizens across the country.

Suleiman, on behalf of the group then urged Emefiele to obey the court or risk being jailed for six months, alleging that the CBN boss was deliberately punishing citizens.

The group said, “NDF commends the Governors of Kaduna, Kogi, and Zamfara States who approached the Supreme Court for its intervention without which Nigerians would have been punished for being alive.

“We align with their assertion that the implementation of the redesigned currency notes is negatively affecting the populace.

“We further commend the Supreme Court for saving the nation from the impending calamity that would have ruined the country had the court not granted this last-minute reprieve.

“The group warns the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, and “his lackeys” in the commercial banks not to contemplate exploiting technicalities to sidestep or disobey the order of the Supreme Court or risk being jailed for six months”.