Breaking: Naira redesign: Supreme Court set for judgment

From Godwin Tsa, Abuja.

The Supreme Court is set to deliver judgment in a suit by some States government against the Federal Government on the controversial Naira re-designing and cashless policy.

Sixteen States are challenging the legality or otherwise of the introduction of policy.

The suit originally filed by Kaduna, Kogi and Zamfara states has been listed as the first case on the cause list for final verdict.

Justice John Inyang Okoro who led a 7-man panel of Justices of the Court had on February 22 fixed today for the court to make its decision known on the matter.

At the time of this report, the Supreme Courtt’s Main room where the judgment is to be handed down has been filled up by retinue of lawyers involved in the matter and representatives of the states.

Besides that, our correspondent also noted that security has been beefed up both within and outside the court.

All those seeking to access the court room are being frisked by security operatives to prevent security breaches.

Similarly, about 50 Senior Advocates of Nigeria SANS representing various parties have arrived at the court.

The sixteen states led by Kaduna, Kogi and Zamfara are praying the Apex Court to void and set aside the policy on the ground that it is inflicting hardships on innocent Nigerians

They accused President Muhammadu Buhari of usurping the function of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN in the introduction and implementation of the policy and asked that the directive issued by Buhari be voided.

On its part, the Federal Government challenged the jurisdiction of the Apex Court on the grounds that the CBN was not joined as a party and that the dispute on the policy ought to be directed at the CBN so that the suit can be referred to the Federal High Court.

Details later.