The Federal High Court has firmly denied viral claims alleging an assassination attempt on Justice James Omotosho, describing the reports as entirely false, misleading, and capable of inciting needless tension. The clarification was issued on Sunday by the Court’s Chief Registrar, Sulaiman Hassan, following widespread circulation of a social media post suggesting that Justice Omotosho had been attacked and rushed to an undisclosed hospital.
According to the Court, the story originated from a blogger who falsely linked the supposed attack to Justice Omotosho’s recent judgment in the terrorism case involving the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu. The blogger claimed the judge’s life was targeted following the verdict. The Federal High Court has now categorically dismissed these claims, insisting that no such incident occurred and that the judge is safe and actively discharging his judicial duties.
The Court described the report as a deliberate attempt to mislead the public and undermine the integrity of the judiciary. It warned individuals and media platforms to desist from spreading unverified information capable of causing public unrest or damaging the reputation of judicial officers.
In addition, the Federal High Court called on security agencies to investigate the source of the false information and take appropriate legal action against those responsible, especially under cybercrime and defamation laws.
The judiciary reiterated its commitment to upholding justice without fear or favor, stressing that no amount of misinformation or malicious propaganda would deter judges from carrying out their constitutional responsibilities.
The Court urged the public to rely solely on verified information from official channels and disregard sensational claims circulating on social media.
