Governments of various states and police commands have initiated a crackdown on traders and supermarkets who are accused of declining the old Nigerian naira notes.

Investigation has revealed that the authorities in states such as Kano, Sokoto, Katsina, Bayelsa, Zamfara and Kwara have issued directives to their security agencies to take action against anyone who refuses to accept the old N1000, N500, and N200 notes.

This action was taken in response to the confusion caused by the Central Bank of Nigeria’s failure to provide clear guidance to commercial banks regarding the extension of the February 10 deadline for exchanging the old currency, following a recent Supreme Court ruling that prevented the Federal Government from enforcing the previously established time limit set by the central bank.

On Sunday, the Governor of Kano State, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, instructed the acting Chairman of the Kano State Consumer Protection Council, Dr. Baffa Dan’agundi, to close down Wellcare supermarket for rejecting the old naira notes in contravention of the state government’s directive that the currency is still considered legal tender.

The Chairman of the Council announced the closure of the supermarket after taking the necessary steps and added that legal action will also be taken against the owners of the supermarket, Wellcare Alliance Limited.

He cautioned other businesses in Kano that the state government has not banned the usage of old naira notes.

Dr. Baffa Dan’agundi warned that any shopkeeper caught rejecting the old notes will face decisive action as per the law.

In the meantime, the management of Wellcare Alliance Limited has issued an apology letter to Governor Ganduje, requesting his prompt intervention to reopen the supermarket. The letter was titled “A plea for immediate intervention to reopen Wellcare Alliance Limited and an apology letter.”

Similarly, the government of Katsina State has issued a warning to banks and traders in the state not to reject the old naira notes until the Supreme Court delivers a final ruling on the matter.

The warning was issued in a statement on Sunday by the Commissioner for Information, Culture and Home Affairs, Abdulkarim Sirika.

The statement from the government stated that they were aware of reports that banks and traders in the state were rejecting the old notes from citizens, causing significant difficulties for the people.

The statement read: ‘’It has come to the notice of the state government under the able leadership of the Governor of Katsina State, Rtd Hon. Aminu Bello Masari that banks and marketers are no longer accepting the old naira notes.

“In view of this, His Excellency, the governor has directed that marketers and banks should continue accepting the old naira notes from now to the 15th February 2023 pending the final verdict of the Supreme Court on the matter.”

In Sokoto, the state police command has declared its commitment to taking action against anyone who refuses to accept the old notes. The Public Relations Officer of the command, Sanusi Abubakar, stated that although they have not received any official complaints, they are encouraging residents to report any incidents of old note rejection to law enforcement agencies in the state.

Abubakar said, ‘’I’m sure you know we can only react if there is a complaint against anyone rejecting the notes but so far, we have not gotten any report of such in the state. I can assure you that we are on top of the situation and we will do the needful if such a report is made.’’

The Kwara State Police Public Relations Officer, Ajayi Okasanmi, also spoke on the matter, saying that the police have received a directive to arrest anyone who sells or buys naira notes in the state.

In response to an inquiry from newsmen, Okasanmi stated, “There is a government directive to arrest anyone who messes up the naira notes, buy or sell the notes, but we have not been able to catch anyone in Kwara state. I want to advise people to abide by the government directive on both old and new naira notes so that they would not run foul of the law.’’

To alleviate the difficulties faced by residents, the state government revealed that it has arranged palliatives to help mitigate the effects of both the fuel scarcity and currency scarcity in the state.

The Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mallam Rafiu Ajakaye, further explained in a statement on Sunday that the palliatives would involve cash transfers to widows, pensioners, transporters, marketers, smallholder farmers, and other vulnerable individuals.

He noted that the program would be managed by the Kwara State Social Investment Program to ensure proper coordination and accountability.

The Commissioner of Police in Bayelsa State Command, Ben Okolo, has directed Divisional Police Officers, Tactical Commanders, and other law enforcement personnel to closely monitor banks and ATM locations to prevent any disturbance of peace.

The command acknowledges the difficulties faced by the general public and is hopeful that the new measures introduced by the Central Bank of Nigeria will lead to an improvement in the currency circulation in the near future.

The Commissioner of Police in Bayelsa State Command also stated that the command has not received a directive to arrest individuals who reject the old naira notes.

He added that the command is appealing to members of the public to remain calm and continue with their lawful businesses as the command is committed to ensuring public safety and security.

The Commissioner of Police in Bayelsa State Command advised residents to continue accepting the old naira notes as it remains a legal tender. He added that the state police command is there to guarantee public safety and security.

The committee chairman, Alhaji Bello Bakyasuwa, who monitored the filling stations and other business centers in Gusau, the capital city, said that the old currency remained a legal tender in the state as directed by Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara state.

He vowed to arrest anyone who did not comply with the governor’s directive.

“My committee will instantly arrest any person who refuses to accept the old naira notes. My governor has given a directive for the arrest of those who do not accept the old naira notes as legal tender,’’ he declared.