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6 Nigeria Governors, Police Crack Down On Rejection Of Old Naira Notes
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.
The Labour Party has commended former President Goodluck Jonathan for conceding defeat in the 2015 presidential election, saying his decision demonstrated that political power was not worth the blood of Nigerians.
The National Chairman of the Labour Party, Senator Nenadi Usman, made the statement on Tuesday in Bauchi State while speaking with journalists on the sidelines of the 2026 Goodluck Jonathan Foundation Democracy Dialogue.
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The event, organised by the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation, was themed, “Beyond Elections: Can Political Parties and the Judiciary Save African Democracy?”
Usman said Nigeria’s democracy survived the tensions surrounding the 2015 election because Jonathan chose to put the national interest above his desire to remain in office.
She said, “Nigeria’s democracy survived the doomsday predictions of bookmakers in 2015 because of President Jonathan’s concession of defeat in that year’s election, even before the final votes were tallied.”
According to her, Jonathan’s approach to politics was exceptional, particularly because he had consistently maintained that neither his election nor remaining in power was worth the blood of any Nigerian.
Usman stated, “Such a principled approach to politics had never before been witnessed on the Nigerian political horizon. Jonathan, from the inception of his presidency, consistently maintained that neither his election nor remaining in power was worth the blood of any Nigerian.”
She added that Jonathan demonstrated the sincerity of his position when the 2015 election tested his commitment to the principle.
The Labour Party chairman urged politicians preparing for the 2027 general elections to emulate Jonathan’s non-violent approach to politics, respect democratic rules and place national interest above personal ambitions.
She also questioned whether politicians seeking the presidency in 2027 would be prepared to make similar sacrifices for national unity, particularly amid inflammatory rhetoric from some political camps.
Usman further recalled the saying attributed to Warren Buffett that someone is sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.
She argued that Nigerians are able to practise democracy today partly because Jonathan made sacrifices at a critical moment.
On the Labour Party’s preparations for the 2027 elections, Usman described the party as the most structured opposition political party in Nigeria.
She said the Labour Party’s relationship with the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress had strengthened its political structure nationwide.
Usman claimed that the party remained the only opposition party with a realistic presence across Nigeria’s 186,000 polling units.
She said, “With the combined strength of the NLC and the TUC, both of which are constitutional members of the party, no Nigerian political party is better positioned to show the APC government the exit door than the Labour Party.”
The democracy dialogue attracted several political leaders and dignitaries, including former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan, former Vice-President Namadi Sambo, Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, former Senate President Anyim Pius Anyim and Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi.
Others included former Plateau State Governor Jonah Jang, APC Deputy National Chairman, South, Dr Ben Nwoye, and the Emir of Bauchi, Dr Rilwanu Suleiman Adamu.
The dialogue provided a platform for discussions on strengthening democratic institutions, the role of political parties and the judiciary, and preventing democratic reversals across Africa.
Nigeria has recorded another major achievement on the international stage as the Mountain Top Chorale of Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (MFM) emerged champion of the 2026 World Choir Games in Helsingborg, Sweden.
The Nigerian choir clinched the gold medal in the Spiritual Category (C14), scoring an impressive 87.38 points in the competition conducted by Oluwasegun Okedunmola.
The feat was celebrated by the General Overseer of MFM, Daniel Olukoya, who described the victory as a major moment of pride for Nigeria and the ministry.
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In a Monday Facebook post, Olukoya wrote, “A CHAMPION’S SOUND! GOLD FOR MOUNTAIN TOP CHORALE!”
According to him, the choir secured two major honours at the 2026 competition, including the gold medal in the Spiritual Category and the overall championship in the Champions Competition.
He said the achievement went beyond music, describing it as a demonstration of “discipline, excellence, dedication, teamwork and the power of using our gifts to glorify God.”
Olukoya also commended the choristers, conductor, leadership of the choir and everyone whose sacrifices and commitment contributed to the success.
The World Choir Games, organised by Interkultur, is regarded as the world’s largest international choir competition. The 2026 edition is being held in Helsingborg from August 6 to 16.
The host organisation said about 8,500 singers from more than 40 countries are participating, with more than 160 choirs taking part in the competition, concerts and other activities.
The 2026 edition is also the first time the World Choir Games are being held in Sweden.
Mountain Top Chorale’s victory places the Nigerian choir among the top performers at the global choral event and further highlights Nigeria’s presence in international gospel and choral music.
Celebrating the achievement, Olukoya said, “From Nigeria to the world, Mountain Top Chorale has raised the banner high.”
He concluded his message by congratulating the choir and giving glory to God for the historic achievement.
Former presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to resign over what he described as “failure in governance,” drawing comparisons with political accountability in other democracies following the resignation announcement of UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
In a statement posted on his official X account on Monday, Obi said he had followed Starmer’s resignation speech and reflected on what he described as the importance of leadership responsibility in democratic governance.
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“As a keen observer of global politics, my primary interest lies in examining what successful nations do right and the structural factors that cause others to lag or struggle with governance and development,” Obi said.
He noted that Starmer’s decision followed growing public dissatisfaction over economic challenges, rising cost of living, and unmet campaign promises in the United Kingdom.
Obi then drew parallels with Nigeria, recalling that before the 2015 general elections, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had repeatedly called on then-President Goodluck Jonathan to resign over insecurity.
“During the Chibok school kidnapping incident, he demanded the immediate resignation of President Jonathan, arguing that the government had failed in its most fundamental duty of protecting lives,” Obi stated.
He also referenced campaign promises made by Tinubu during the 2023 elections, including commitments to improve electricity supply, tackle corruption, and enhance the welfare of Nigerians.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu made several promises, including improved electricity supply. He also challenged the electorate not to vote for him for a second term if he failed to deliver on those commitments,” Obi said.
According to him, conditions in the country have since deteriorated, with persistent power shortages, worsening insecurity, and deepening economic hardship.
“At present, however, these conditions have worsened. Electricity supply remains unreliable, insecurity has intensified in many areas, including kidnappings, and economic hardship has deepened rather than eased,” he added.
Obi further argued that other sectors, including infrastructure, transportation, and anti-corruption efforts, had also suffered setbacks, insisting that Nigeria is currently in “the worst possible condition.”
The opposition figure therefore called on President Tinubu to step down, saying such a move would promote accountability in public office.
“I, therefore, join Nigerians of goodwill in calling for the resignation of the President over monumental failure in governance,” Obi said.
He added that resignation would help foster “a political culture rooted in accountability and responsibility” and reinforce the idea that “public office is a sacred trust, not an entitlement,” stressing the need for what he called “a New Nigeria that is possible.”
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