The Federal High Court has issued a strongly worded public disclaimer, categorically denying a sensational report by a “celebrity blogger” alleging that Justice James Omotosho survived an assassination attempt shortly after sentencing IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu to life imprisonment. The court described the publication as “completely false and unfounded,” urging the public to disregard it as baseless misinformation.
The rebuttal, titled “OFFICIAL PUBLIC DISCLAIMER: REBUTTAL TO FALSE PUBLICATION BY ‘CELEBRITY BLOGGER’ ON THE ALLEGED ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT ON JUSTICE JAMES OMOTOSHO OF THE FEDERAL HIGH COURT,”was released Saturday evening, signed by Sulaiman Amida Hassan, Esq., Chief Registrar, Federal High Court of Nigeria, hours after the viral blogger’s post claimed the judge was rushed to a hospital following an early-morning attack. The false report, which cited unnamed sources decrying the incident as an “outrage” and a threat to the “foundation of law,” emerged amid heightened tensions following Kanu’s Thursday conviction on terrorism charges.
“We hereby firmly and unequivocally declare that the said report is completely false and unfounded,” the court’s statement read. “The public is advised to treat this publication as fake news and refrain from further dissemination to prevent the spread of misinformation.”
The disclaimer highlighted the report’s potential to incite panic and erode trust in the judiciary, suggesting it may have been crafted as an act of intimidation. Justice Omotosho, who presided over Kanu’s high-profile trial, had imposed the life sentence on seven counts, including terrorism and conspiracy, sparing the IPOB leader the death penalty sought by prosecutors.
In light of the “gravity of the report,” the Federal High Court called on security agencies and regulatory bodies to launch a “thorough investigation” to identify and prosecute those behind the fabrication. “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,” the statement concluded.
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