Lockdown: Banks stop clearing cheques on CBN directive
Cheques issue would not be attended to until further notice as the apex bank said it has suspended clearing due to lockdown in Lagos, Abuja and Ogun State.
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has announced the suspension of clearing of cheques until further notice following government directive to lockdown the cities.
The suspension was announced in a circular to Deposit Money Banks and the Nigeria Interbank Settlement System (NIBSS) by the Director of Banking Services at CBN, Sam Okojere.
The lockdown was necessitated to curtail rising cases of coronavirus in these cities.
President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday ordered a lockdown in Lagos, Ogun and the FCT on Monday as a response to contain the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
CBN explained that in view of these developments and in furtherance to the Bank’s effort to ensure hitch-free clearing and settlement activities, it had therefore suspended cheque clearing until further notice.
It said the clearing of cheques instruments in the Nigerian clearing starting from March and for the avoidance of doubt, no fresh cheque instrument would be allowed to pass through March 31.
The CBN noted that only returned cheque would be treated on the said date.
However, settlement activities for electronic instruments will continue to hold during this period of suspension, CBN said.
Lockdown: Banks stop clearing cheques on CBN directive
