The Federal High Court has dismissed as false a viral report alleging that Justice James Omotosho survived an assassination attempt shortly after sentencing Nnamdi Kanu to life imprisonment.
A blogger had claimed on Facebook that the judge was attacked on Saturday morning and rushed to a hospital as security operatives moved to secure the area.
However, in a statement issued on Sunday, the Chief Registrar of the Federal High Court, Sulaiman Hassan, described the report as “completely false and unfounded”.
The statement, titled “Rebuttal to False Publication by ‘Celebrity Blogger’ on the Alleged Assassination Attempt on Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court,” urged the public to disregard the claim and avoid spreading misinformation.
“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,” the Registrar said.
“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.”
The Court expressed concern that such a report could cause public panic and erode confidence in the judiciary, warning that it might have been intended as a form of intimidation.
The Chief Registrar called on security agencies and regulatory authorities to investigate the source of the publication, identify those responsible, and prosecute them under relevant Nigerian laws, including those on cybercrime, defamation, and public misinformation.
