No Religion Is Superior To The Other: Court Tells CBN To Remove Arabic Inscription On 200, 500, 1000 Naira Notes

A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, has dismissed laywer Malcolm Emokiniovo Omirhobo’s case challenging the Arabic inscription on the Nigerian Naira notes.

The Presiding Judge, Yellim Bogoro, dismissed the Lagos-based lawyer’s suit on Tuesday, while also advising the defendants to “remove the Arabic inscription on the N200, N500and N1000 naira notes since it has been removed from the N5, N10 ,N50 and N100.”

In January 2020, Omirhobo filed a suit before Justice Mohammed Liman, against the Federal Government, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and Attorney General of the Federation over the inscription.

Omirhobo argued that Nigeria is a secular nation and urged the court to declare it illegal, unlawful, and unconstitutional for Arabic language to be inscribed on naira notes rather than English language or Hausa, Yoruba and Igbo.

The CBN, in November 2020, opposed the suit before the Federal High Court seeking to remove the Ajami (Arabic) inscriptions

CBN told the court that it will cost a lot of money to discard existing notes and print new ones without Ajami.

It also said Ajami is not a symbol or mark of Islam, but an inscription to help non-English speakers who are Ajami literate.

However, prior to the dismissal, as stated by Omirhobo via X, Bogoro relied on the case of “Chief Gani Fawehimi V . Akilu (1998) 2NWLR (Part 102 ), 122 at 169.”

In relation to the case, the Court held that “Omirhobo has the locus standing to institute the action, but he failed to prove that the first defendant, “that is the Central Bank design, issue, print and distribution of the naira notes with Arabic inscription is done in bad faith and accordingly dismissed the suit.

The Court also noted that “Nigeria is a secular state and that no religion is superior to the other.”

Bogoro ruled that “Nigeria is a multi ethnic and religious country and that to ethnic group or religion is superior to the other.”

To this end, the Judge stated 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, N500and N1000 naira notes since it has been removed from the N5, N10 ,N50 and N100.”

Meanwhile, Ishaq Akintola-led Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) had countered Omirhobo suit asking for a dismissal.

Akintola said the lawyer’s action was motivated by “religious bigotry, religious intolerance and outright hatred for Islam.”

Contrary to Omirhobo’s argument, MURIC and Akintola said there was nowhere in the constitution where it was stated that Nigeria is a secular state.

They also argued that Arabic is just a language and not synonymous with Islam, saying the Bible, which is the Christian holy book, is printed in Arabic language in Israel, Egypt, Palestine, Lybia, Syria and among other countries.

Opposing Omirhobo’s prayer that the Arabic inscriptions on naira notes should be replaced with English, MURIC and Akintola said there was no law making English Nigeria’s official language.

They further argued that if the sign of the cross, synonymous with Christianity, could be used on government-owned hospitals and ambulances, there was no reason why Arabic shouldn’t be permitted on naira notes.

They said should Omirhobo’s suit succeed, the CBN and the Federal Government “will incur colossal sums of money to discard the currencies with Arabic inscription and print new Nigerian currencies.”