Feb. 11, 2023

Niger Government has filed a lawsuit against the Federal Government over the naira redesign policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) at the Supreme Court.

A statement by Justice Nasara Danmallam, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, in Niger in Minna on Saturday, said the case with suit number SC/CV/210/2023, was filed on February 10, with the Niger State Government as the plaintiff.

The statement said that the state government was seeking for an extension of the timeframe given by the CBN for the currency swap and withdrawal from circulation of old N200, N500 and N1,000 amongst other reliefs.

The statement said the three months given by the Federal government for the withdrawal of old currency across the country was not reasonable and in violation of section 13, 14 (2) (b), 17 (1) (c) of the 1999 Constitution as amended.

In the affidavit in support of the originating summons, filed at the Supreme Court, the Niger Government contended that the unavailability of the new redesigned notes had caused untold hardships and sufferings on the inhabitants of the state, especially those living in rural dwellers across the state.

The statement expressed the state government’s concern about the inconveniences the redesigned Naira policy had brought on the people, saying that government would continue everything within its constitutional limit to ameliorate their sufferings.