The Federal High Court has issued an official public rebuttal to a report by a “celebrity blogger” alleging that Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, survived an assassination attempt following the life sentence handed down to Nnamdi Kanu.
Justice Omotosho on Thursday, November 20, sentenced Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), to life in prison on terrorism charges.
In a statement signed by Sulaiman Amida Hassan, ESQ, Chief Registrar of the Federal High Court, the court said the report is “completely false and unfounded.”
The public is advised to treat the publication as fake news and “refrain from further dissemination to prevent the spread of misinformation,” the court warned.
The statement added that the false report, given its gravity, “has the potential to cause panic and undermine confidence in the judicial system, possibly intended as a form of intimidation.”
The Federal High Court called on “the relevant security agencies and regulatory authorities to conduct a thorough investigation” to identify and apprehend those responsible, and to prosecute them “in accordance with the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, particularly those relating to cybercrime, defamation, and public misinformation.”
Omotosho, on Thursday, sentenced Nnamdi Kanu to life imprisonment after finding him guilty on seven counts of terrorism-related offences.
The judge handed life sentences for counts one, two, four, five, and six, each of which carried the death penalty. For count three, which involved belonging to a proscribed terrorist organization, Kanu was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment without the option of a fine.
On count seven, relating to the unlawful importation of a radio transmitter to further the activities of Radio Biafra, which is not registered in Nigeria, Justice Omotosho sentenced Kanu to five years imprisonment, also without the option of a fine.
To extend leniency, the judge ordered that the sentences for counts three and seven run concurrently.
Noting Kanu’s unruly conduct throughout the trial, Justice Omotosho said the law permitted him to impose the death penalty for the terrorism offences. However, he chose mercy, citing his Christian faith and referencing Matthew 23:23.
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