The Federal High Court (FHC) has dismissed as false a viral report claiming that Justice James Omotosho survived an assassination attempt days after sentencing Nnamdi Kanu to life imprisonment.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) earlier reported that a blogger alleged on Facebook that Justice Omotosho was attacked in the early hours of Saturday and rushed to the hospital while security agents secured the area.
But in a statement issued on Sunday, the Chief Registrar of the FHC, Sulaiman Hassan, said the claim was entirely untrue. The statement, titled “Rebuttal to False Publication by ‘Celebrity Blogger’ on the Alleged Assassination Attempt on Justice James Omotosho,” urged the public to disregard the report.
“The attention of the Federal High Court has been drawn to a publication alleging that Justice James Omotosho survived an assassination attempt following the life sentence imposed on Nnamdi Kanu,” the statement read.
“We firmly and unequivocally declare that the report is completely false and unfounded. The public is advised to treat it as fake news and stop its circulation to prevent misinformation.”
Hassan also urged security agencies to investigate the source of the report and prosecute those responsible for spreading what he described as a potentially destabilizing falsehood.
“Given the gravity of the allegation and its potential to cause panic or undermine public confidence in the judiciary, we call on security and regulatory authorities to conduct a thorough investigation and prosecute the culprits under relevant cybercrime and defamation laws,” he added.
NAN recalls that Justice Omotosho, on Thursday, sentenced Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), to life imprisonment after convicting him on all seven terrorism-related charges filed by the Federal Government.
The judge imposed life sentences on counts one, two, four, five, and six—each of which originally carried the death penalty. He handed down 20 years’ imprisonment on count three and five years on count seven, with the last two sentences to run concurrently.
Justice Omotosho said he opted for a lesser sentence out of Christian compassion, referencing Matthew 23:23, and described Kanu’s behaviour during the trial as unruly and lacking remorse.
He ordered that Kanu be held in protective custody outside the Kuje Correctional Centre and restricted from using digital devices unless strictly monitored by the Office of the National Security Adviser. The court also directed that his seized radio transmitter be forfeited to the Federal Government.
The Department of State Services (DSS) was given 90 days to apply for the forfeiture of other seized items if necessary.
