The Federal High Court of Nigeria has dismissed a report claiming that Justice James Omotosho, the judge who sentenced Nnamdi Kanu to life imprisonment, survived an assassination attempt. According to the court, the report is entirely false and unfounded.
A blogger had earlier reported on social media that Justice Omotosho was attacked and rushed to a hospital, just days after handing down the life sentence to Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). However, the Chief Registrar of the Federal High Court, Sulaiman Hassan, released a statement denying the report and urging the public to treat it as fake news.
The statement emphasized that the report has the potential to cause panic and undermine confidence in the judicial system, and possibly intended as a form of intimidation. Hassan called on relevant security agencies to launch an investigation into the report, with the aim of identifying and prosecuting those responsible in accordance with Nigerian laws related to cybercrime, defamation, and public misinformation.
Justice Omotosho had sentenced Kanu to life imprisonment on seven counts of terrorism offenses, after finding him guilty. The judge also sentenced Kanu to 20 years imprisonment for belonging to a proscribed terrorist group and five years imprisonment for unlawful importation of a radio transmitter. The sentences for the latter two counts are to run concurrently.
The court’s decision to dismiss the report of an assassination attempt on Justice Omotosho comes as a significant development in the ongoing case of Nnamdi Kanu, who has been a prominent figure in the separatist movement in Nigeria. The case has drawn widespread attention and sparked debates about the country’s judicial system and the handling of terrorism cases.
The Federal High Court’s statement serves as a reminder of the importance of verifying information through credible sources, especially in sensitive cases like this one. As the investigation into the false report continues, the court’s decision to address the matter promptly and transparently underscores its commitment to upholding the integrity of the judicial system.