Justice Yellim Bogoro of the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, has dismissed a lawsuit challenging the inclusion of Arabic inscriptions on Naira notes.
The case was brought by Chief Malcolm Emokiniovo Omirhobo, who argued against the Arabic inscriptions on naira notes.
In his ruling, Justice Bogoro referenced the precedent set in Chief Gani Fawehinmi vs. Akilu (1998) 2NWLR (Part 102), 122 at 169. While acknowledging that Omirhobo had the standing to bring the suit, the judge concluded that Omirhobo failed to provide sufficient evidence that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) acted in bad faith in designing, issuing, printing, and distributing the naira notes with Arabic inscriptions. Consequently, the court dismissed the suit.
Omirhobo, in a statement shared on his official X (formerly Twitter) account, noted that the court affirmed Nigeria as a secular state, emphasizing that no religion is superior to another.
Meanwhile, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has praised the judgment. In a statement released on Tuesday, Prof. Ishaq Akintola, Executive Director of MURIC, described the ruling as “far-reaching, profound, didactic, and monumental.” He expressed satisfaction with the outcome, noting that the case, which began in late 2020, has finally been resolved.
“This is a sweet victory. Once again, the Nigerian judiciary has demonstrated courage, intellectual excellence, and jurisprudential exactitude,” Akintola stated. He recalled a previous media release by MURIC in November 2020, where the group criticized Omirhobo’s approach as “naïve” and “pedestrian.”
Akintola emphasized the need for coexistence between Christians and Muslims in Nigeria, stating, “The case has proved that we own this country together. Nobody is going anywhere for anybody. Nobody can expel Nigerian Muslims from their fatherland. We love Nigeria and Nigeria will continue to accommodate both Christians and Muslims.”
He added, “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 high.”
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