Police warn Ganduje, el-Rufai, others over ‘divisive, crisis-prone utterances’

Nigeria police have issued a stern warning to groups and individuals against what they described as divisive comments and utterances capable of heating up the polity and triggering crisis in the nation, following the prevailing tension arising from the Naira redesign policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Federal Government’s reintroduction of the N200 notes as legal tender.

State governors under the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) have increasingly been at the forefront of telling residents to ignore the directive of President Muhammadu Buhari after the latter’s nationwide broadcast annulling the legality of the old N500 and N1000 notes, while reintroducing only the N200 into circulation.

Buhari’s order came barely a week to the expected ruling of the Supreme Court which had fixed February 22 to rule on the suit filed originally filed by three state governors of Zamfara, Kogi and Kaduna on February 3, challenging the decision by the Central Bank of Nigeria to terminate the old notes as non-legal tender after the expiration of the bank’s February 10 deadline on the old Naira notes.

Since Buhari’s address, Thursday, some state governors, notably; Nasir el-Rufai and Abdullahi Ganduje of Kaduna and Kano, respectively, have aired statewide broadcast on their own, telling resident to ignore President Buhari’s order and use and continue using the old Naira notes.

However, the President’s directive has been countered by some state governors, including those of Kano, Kaduna who ion statewide broadcast to their residents directed them to continue using the old Naira notes.

This is also as state governors of Lagos and Ogun, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Dao Abiodun, respectively, have issued statements criminalizing rejection of the old Naira notes in their domains. Furthermore, their counterpart in Rivers State, Nyesom Wike has condemned the directive of the Federal Government and CBN, though mute on compliance with the order.

The dissenting state governors have cited the position of the Supreme court as reason their counter-directive to residents of their states.

While the Ogun Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, Friday, threatened to revoke the Certificate of Occupancy (CofO) of any business outlet operating in the state found to be rejecting the old Naira notes, his Kano counterpart, Abdullahi Ganduje, also vowed to destroy any commercial bank operating in the state which refuses to accept deposits from customers in the old currencies.

The Kano Governor, who disclosed this, Friday, during his inspection of palliatives meant for distribution to the citizens to cushion the effects of the hardship caused by the cashless policy, said premises of the destroyed banks would consequently be converted to schools.

On his part, the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu equally told residents he will criminalise rejection of the old notes, maintaining it is in line with the position of the Supreme Court which had earlier asked the Federal Government to stay action on the old Naira notes pending determination of the suit brought by the state governors.

Kaduna Governor Nasir el-Rufai, in a statewide address to residents, Thursday, called on residents to defy the President Buhari and CBN order and continue transacting their businesses with the old Naira notes,

Violent protests have already been reported across parts of the country over the naira scarcity arising from the Naira redesign policy, as residents of Ibadan, in Oyo State, last Thursday, took to the streets in protest against the hardship triggered by the Naira notes swap and fuel price hike.

The Ibadan protests follow another one in Udu, near Warri, in Delta State over the same matter of Naira scarcity, as well as that in Benin City, Edo State.

Similar unrests have been reported in parts of Ogun, Katsina, and Kano states.

However, reacting to the position of the state governors, Saturday, the Nigeria police, in a statement issued by its spokesperson, CSP OLumuyiwa Adejobi, said the warning had become necessary as the Force ‘perceives the reactions and utterances of certain groups and individuals as an attempt to heat up the polity and spontaneously instigate the populace against the government and its policies for their peculiar interests and gains.’

“The NPF, therefore, charges the citizenry of Nigeria to remain calm and embrace peace as the Federal Government has assured that it is taking the bull by the horn, assiduously to address the scarcity of naira and fuel and restore normalcy in all sectors.

“Similarly, the Nigerian populace is hereby urged to desist from any act of violence, hooliganism, and vandalism that may jeopardize the ongoing electoral process, which is significant and critical in the transitional advancement of democracy in Nigeria.

“Meanwhile, the NPF will like to assure the general public that it is working in concert with Defence, security, and intelligence agencies to provide a peaceful environment for all citizens to conduct their socio-economic activities,” the statement read.