Federal High Court Denounces False Report on Alleged Assassination Attempt Against Justice Omotosho
The Federal High Court (FHC) has categorically dismissed as false the report alleging that Honourable Justice James Omotosho survived an assassination attempt following his judgment sentencing Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), to life imprisonment.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that a blogger had circulated the claim via Facebook, suggesting that Justice Omotosho was rushed to hospital after the alleged incident.
In a swift rebuttal, the Chief Registrar of the Federal High Court, Sulaiman Hassan, issued a statement titled “Rebuttal to False Publication by ‘Celebrity Blogger’ on the Alleged Assassination Attempt on Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court.”
The statement reads in part: “We hereby firmly and unequivocally declare that the said 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.”
The Registrar further urged relevant security agencies to investigate the source of the false report, stressing that such publications have the potential to cause public panic, undermine confidence in the judiciary, and intimidate judicial officers. He called for the culprits to be prosecuted under Nigerian laws relating to cybercrime, defamation, and public misinformation.
Justice Omotosho had, on Thursday, convicted Nnamdi Kanu on seven counts of terrorism. While the law permitted the death penalty, the judge commuted the sentence to life imprisonment for counts one, two, four, five, and six.
– Count Three: Belonging to a proscribed terrorist group – 20 years imprisonment (without option of fine).
– Count Seven: Unlawful importation of a radio transmitter to further IPOB activities – 5 years imprisonment (without option of fine).
The judge ordered that counts three and seven run concurrently, citing mercy and Christian values under Matthew 23:23. He also considered the allocutus presented by Rep. Obi Aguocha on Kanu’s behalf.
Further orders included:
– Protective custody for Kanu outside Kuje Correctional Centre.
– Forfeiture of the radio transmitter to the Federal Government.
– Restriction of Kanu’s access to digital devices, subject to monitoring by the Office of the National Security Adviser.
– Possible forfeiture of other exhibits after 90 days, pending appeal.
Justice Omotosho described Kanu’s conduct during trial as “unruly” and noted his lack of remorse, concluding that the defendant retained a tendency toward violence.
