Following the deadline for the acceptance of old currency as legal tender by the Central Bank of Nigeria, bus conductors, and passengers on Wednesday exchanged blows over the former’s refusal to accept old notes as transport fare in Kaduna.
Trouble started when a ten-passenger bus operating from Sabon Tasha Community, in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State, heading towards Kaduna Central Market dropped passengers who handed over their old currencies to the bus conductor, who refused to accept the money.
One passenger who sustained a nose injury during the heavy fistfight said, “I entered the bus from Sabon Tasha, after bargaining with the conductor to pay 200 Naira.”
“On reaching my destination, I gave him 200 naira, but he refused, saying it was old currency; all my pleading fell on deaf ears.”
The driver rained curses on the passengers, but as he returned the curses; they supported the conductor; the driver threw a blow in his face, and the man retaliated.
When interviewed, the bus conductor, Sanusi Umaru, said he wondered why the CBN Governor had given a deadline for the use of old currency, yet some disgruntled elements are still using it as legal tender.
He claimed nobody would accept the old currencies from him, even if he received them from his passengers, and added that people are aware of the implications of old currency, yet they are still using it as legal tender.