Fatimah Otunsanya
The Federal High Court says the report that Justice James Omotosho survived an assassination attempt following the life sentence imposed on Nnamdi Kanu is fake news.
A blogger had reported on his Facebook page that Justice Omotosho survived an assassination attempt on Saturday morning, just days after handing down the life sentences to Kanu.
According to the report, Justice Omotosho was immediately rushed to a hospital as security forces scrambled to secure the area.
But reacting, the Chief Registrar of FHC, Sulaiman Hassan, in a statement made available to newsmen on Sunday, said the report was fake and untrue .
The statement is titled, “Rebuttal to False Publication by ‘Celebrity Blogger’ on the Alleged Assassination Attempt on Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court.”
It reads, “The attention of the Federal High Court has been drawn to a publication by CELEBRITY BLOGGER, alleging that the 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 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.”
Hassan, therefore, called on relevant security agencies to launch a probe into the report with a view to arresting and prosecuting the culprits in line with the laws.
“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,” the statement added.
NigeriaTodayaTimes had reported earlier that Justice Omotosho had, on Thursday, commuted the death sentence of Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, to life imprisonment after he was found guilty of the seven-count terrorism offences.
The judge sentenced him to life imprisonment in relation to counts one, two, four, five, and six, which carried a death sentence each.