Court Takes Decision On Arabic Inscriptions On Naira Notes

Justice Yellim Bogoro of the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, has dismissed a case filed by Chief Malcolm Emokiniovo Omirhobo challenging the use of Arabic inscriptions on the Nigerian currency, the naira.

Justice Bogoro referred to an earlier case, Chief Gani Fawehinmi vs. Akilu (1998), and ruled that although Omirhobo had the right to bring the case, he did not prove that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) acted in bad faith when creating and distributing the naira notes with Arabic inscriptions.

As a result, the court dismissed the case.

In a post on his official X (formerly Twitter) account, Omirhobo said the court confirmed that Nigeria is a secular state where no religion is above another.

He also mentioned that the court acknowledged Nigeria as a diverse country with many ethnic groups and religions, with none being superior to the others.

He said, “The court noted that Arabic language is not Nigeria’s official language and advised that for Nigerians to coexist in harmony, it is high time for the Central Bank of Nigeria and Federal Government to remove the Arabic inscription on the N200, N500, and N1000 naira notes since it has been removed from the N5, N10, N50, and N100.”

Meanwhile, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has hailed the judgment as “far-reaching, profound, didactic, and monumental.”

In a statement released on Tuesday by Prof. Ishaq Akintola, Executive Director of MURIC, the organization expressed satisfaction with the judgment, noting that the case, which started in late 2020, has finally been concluded.

The statement read: “This is a sweet victory. Once again, the Nigerian judiciary has demonstrated courage, intellectual excellence, and jurisprudential exactitude. This judgment is far-reaching, profound, didactic, and monumental.”

Akintola recalled that in their media release on November 16, 2020, the group informed the plaintiff (Omirhobo) that his approach was not only naïve but also simplistic and childish.

He said, “Muslim-haters always oppose anything related to Islam or Muslims. The case has proved that we own this country together. Nobody is going anywhere for anybody. Nobody can force Nigerian Muslims from their homeland. We love Nigeria, and Nigeria will continue to accommodate both Christians and Muslims.”

“Even Muslims cannot wish away the Christians. That is the Nigeria we want. We must tolerate one another. We reject a situation in which some people will seek to expel Muslims, persecute them, or turn them into underdogs and second-class citizens. Nigeria is for all of us. Neither shall we oppress people of other faiths. We want to live here in dignity with our heads raised up high in the air.”

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