The plaintiff had filed a notice of noncompliance with the court order issued on February 8, and demanded that the court take action against the respondent in order to protect the court’s dignity.The Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled that the old 200, 500 and 1000 naira notes are still recognised as legal tender in Nigeria.The apex court made this known while reinstating its order stopping the Nigerian government and its agencies from implementing the February 10 deadline.The court issued the clarification in response to a complaint by Abdulhakeem Mustapha (SAN), a lawyer for Kaduna, Kogi, and Zamfara states, that the Federal Government and its agencies had failed to comply with the order and had allegedly directed the rejection of the old notes.
According to Mustapha, the plaintiff filed a notice of noncompliance with the court order issued on February 8, and demanded that the court take action against the respondent in order to protect the court’s dignity.Justice John Okoro, who presided over a seven-member panel of the court, asked Mustapha to file a proper application to put forward his complaints and to enable the respondent respond appropriately.Justice Okoro said there was no need for a renewal of the court’s order.
Mustapha, while addressing newsmen in Abuja after the Supreme Court adjourned the case to February 22, said, “We made point in the court that the court order on February 8 is still effective and is still subsisting and I’m here to confirm that, and the implication of that is that the old notes still remain as legal tender and the policy or directive given by the CBN governor becomes inconsequential in the light of the fact that the court has extended the lifespan of the interim order it granted on February 8 to the effect that both the old notes and the new notes are still legal tender until motion or notice taken on Wednesday.“That is the current position as at now and any other step contrary to that will be in contravention to the order of the court.”
