SAN to FG: Obey Supreme Court ruling on old naira

A Senior lawyer, Wahab Shittu (SAN) has said that anyone standing in the way of the implementation of the Supreme Court ruling on the extension of the validity of the old naira notes should be arrested and prosecuted.

In the early hours of Friday, the apex court extended the validity of the old notes on the grounds that the policy was implemented without due consultation. The apex court added that it was also not in line with constitutional provisions.

Consequently, the Supreme Court ruled that the old N200, N500 and N1,000, naira notes should co-exist with the new ones until December 31.

Shittu however said, “Once the Supreme Court sneezes, the country catches a cold. Once it makes a pronouncement, it takes immediate effect. The order of the Supreme Court does not require any other authority, including the Central Bank of Nigeria, before its directive should be complied with.

“Anyone standing in the way of the implementation of the Supreme Court order should be immediately arrested, charged for contempt and taken to prison.” Punch