The Federal High Court in Abuja has officially dismissed reports circulating on social media claiming that Justice James Omotosho survived an assassination attempt shortly after sentencing Nnamdi Kanu to life imprisonment.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) confirmed that a blogger on Facebook had alleged that the incident occurred on the morning of Saturday, merely days after Justice Omotosho handed down life sentences against the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). According to the claim, the judge was rushed to hospital while security forces secured the scene.
In a statement released Sunday, the Chief Registrar of the Federal High Court, Sulaiman Hassan, categorically denounced the report as “completely false and unfounded.” Titled *“Rebuttal to False Publication by ‘Celebrity Blogger’ on the Alleged Assassination Attempt on Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court,”* the statement urged the public to disregard the false news to avoid unnecessary panic and misinformation.
Hassan also called on security agencies and regulatory bodies to investigate the origin of the false report with a view to identifying and prosecuting those responsible under Nigeria’s cybercrime, defamation, and misinformation laws.
“Given the gravity of the report, which threatens public confidence in the judiciary and appears intended to intimidate, we urge a thorough investigation and swift action against the perpetrators,” the statement emphasized.
The clarification follows Justice Omotosho’s controversial ruling on Thursday, 20 November 2025, where he commuted the death sentence of Nnamdi Kanu to life imprisonment on several terrorism-related counts. Additionally, Kanu received concurrent sentences of 20 and 5 years on other counts, with restrictions placed on his custody conditions, including limitations on digital device usage to prevent further incitement.
The judge noted Kanu’s unruly behavior throughout the trial and chose leniency grounded in his Christian beliefs, despite having the legal authority to impose the death penalty.
This denial aims to restore calm and confidence in the judicial process, reaffirming the Federal High Court’s commitment to transparency and justice.
