The central bank had ordered MTN and its lenders to bring back a total of $8.1 billion it alleged the company had illegally repatriated using improperly issued paperwork between 2007 and 2008.

Emefiele said the money paid by MTN was a notional sum and that the company has been absolved from any wrongdoing, he said duing a monetary policy meeting at which the bank left interest rates on hold at 14 percent.

(Reporting by Paul Carsten; Writing by Chijioke Ohuocha; Editing by Louise Heavens)