FHC Calls for Blogger’s Arrest Over False Claim of Assassination Attempt on Judge.

The Federal High Court has requested the arrest and investigation of a blogger who published a false claim that Justice James Omotosho narrowly escaped an assassination attempt following his conviction and life sentencing of IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu.

The misleading report, shared on Facebook, alleged that the judge was attacked on Saturday morning—two days after delivering the judgment—and was rushed to a hospital while security operatives secured the scene.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the Chief Registrar of the Federal High Court, Sulaiman Hassan, dismissed the story as completely untrue.

The statement, titled “Rebuttal to False Publication by ‘Celebrity Blogger’ on the Alleged Assassination Attempt on Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court,” stressed that the claims were fabricated.

Hassan said, “The attention of the Federal High Court has been drawn to a publication alleging that Justice James Omotosho survived an assassination attempt following the life sentence imposed on Nnamdi Kanu. We categorically state that the report is false and unfounded. The public is urged to disregard it and avoid spreading misinformation.”

He called on security agencies to investigate the matter, noting that such reports can create public panic and erode confidence in the judiciary.

According to him, the seriousness of the allegation suggests it may have been intended to intimidate the court. He urged security and regulatory authorities to identify those behind the publication and prosecute them under relevant laws, including those on cybercrime, defamation, and misinformation.

Justice Omotosho had, on Thursday, convicted Kanu of terrorism charges and sentenced him to life imprisonment. Although the law allows a death sentence, the judge opted for leniency, citing his Christian faith and referencing Matthew 23:23.

He also ordered that Kanu be kept in protective custody outside Kuje Correctional Centre, barred him from using digital devices unless monitored by the Office of the National Security Adviser, and directed that the radio transmitter used by IPOB be forfeited to the Federal Government.

Kanu has since been transferred to the Sokoto Correctional Centre.