The Federal High Court (FHC) has dismissed reports claiming that Justice James Omotosho survived an assassination attempt following the life sentence he passed on Nnamdi Kanu, describing the story as fake news.
A blog had reported on Facebook that Justice Omotosho was targeted in an assassination attempt early Saturday morning, just days after delivering the life sentence. According to the blogger, the judge was rushed to a hospital while security operatives moved to secure the area.
However, the Chief Registrar of the FHC, Sulaiman Hassan, issued a statement on Sunday morning debunking the claim.
The statement, titled “Rebuttal to False Publication by ‘Celebrity Blogger’ on the Alleged Assassination Attempt on Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court,” read:
“The attention of the Federal High Court has been drawn to a publication by CELEBRITY BLOGGER, alleging that Honourable Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, survived an assassination attempt following the life sentence imposed on Nnamdi Kanu. We hereby firmly and unequivocally declare that the report is completely false and unfounded. The public is advised to treat this publication as fake news and refrain from further dissemination to prevent the spread of misinformation.”
Hassan called on relevant security agencies to launch a probe into the report in order to arrest and prosecute those responsible.
He added: “Given the gravity of the report, which has the potential to cause panic and undermine confidence in the judicial system—possibly intended as a form of intimidation—we call on the relevant security agencies and regulatory authorities to conduct a thorough investigation. The goal is to identify and apprehend the perpetrators responsible for this false report and prosecute them in accordance with the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, particularly those relating to cybercrime, defamation, and public misinformation.”
Justice Omotosho had on Thursday commuted Kanu’s death sentence to life imprisonment after finding him guilty of seven terrorism-related charges. The life sentence covers counts one, two, four, five, and six, which originally carried the death penalty.
Kanu is the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), a separatist group seeking to restore the defunct Republic of Biafra.
