MURIC Celebrates Judiciary Victory as Court Upholds Arabic on Naira

The Federal High Court has ruled in favour of the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in a suit filed by Barrister Malcolm Omirhobo. The plaintiff had sought the removal of Arabic inscriptions from the naira.

The case which began in late 2020, was dismissed today, Tuesday, 16th July, 2024 by Justice Yellim Bogoro sitting at the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos. Reacting to the judgement immediately after the pronouncement, MURIC described it as far-reaching, profound, didactic and monumental.

The Executive Director of the organization, Professor Ishaq Akintola, who issued a statement immediately after the judgement on Tuesday, 16th July, 2024, said:

“This is sweet victory. Once again the Nigerian judiciary has demonstrated courage, intellectual excellence and jurisprudential exactitude. This judgement is far-reaching, profound, didactic and monumental.

“This case will teach Muslim-haters a lesson in tolerance and peaceful coexistence. The plaintiff, Barrister Omirhobo, went to court because he did not want to see Arabic inscriptions on naira notes anymore. We ascribed his action to sheer hatred when he sued the Central Bank in 2020 and we applied for a ‘joiner’.

“In our press statement of 16th November, 2020, We told the plaintiff, ‘Omirhobo’s approach is not only naïve, it is pedestrian and kindergarten. This suit against Arabic on naira manifests acute desertification of religious tolerance, exhibition of undiluted acrobatic religiousity, NAFDAC-registered gymnastic spirituality and Oxford cum Harvard-certificated ignorance.’ We have been vindicated.

“Muslim-haters always oppose anything that has to do with Islam or Muslims. The case has proved that we own this country together. Nobody is going anywhere for anybody. Nobody can Shugaba Nigerian Muslims from their fatherland. We love Nigeria and Nigeria will continue to accommodate both Christians and Muslims.

“Even Muslims cannot wish away the Christians. That is the Nigeria we want. We must tolerate one another. 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 up high in the air.

“MURIC will continue to defend the ideals of freedom and Allah-given fundamental human rights so that we can bequeath to our children, males and females, Muslims coming in later generations, an atmosphere devoid of fear, a climate filled with confidence, dignity and self-esteem.

“Despite attempts by our detractors to paint MURIC as a terrorist group, we will remain guided by the rule of law and we will continue to use every legitimate means available to pursue freedom for Nigerian Muslims.

“We salute our lawyers, Hassan Fajimite and Yisa Kareem, for their sacrifices and their relentlessness.”