By Taiye Agbaje
The Federal High Court (FHC) says the report that Justice James Omotosho survived an assassination attempt following the life sentence imposed on Nnamdi Kanu is fake news.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a blogger had reported on his Facebook page that Justice Omotosho survived an assassination attempt early Saturday morning, just days after handing down the life sentences to Nnamdi Kanu.
According to the report, Justice Omotosho was immediately rushed to a hospital as security forces scrambled to secure the area.
But reacting, the Chief Registrar of FHC, Sulaiman Hassan, in a statement made available to newsmen on Sunday morning, said the report was untrue.
The statement is titled, “Rebuttal to False Publication by ‘Celebrity Blogger’ on the Alleged Assassination Attempt on Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court.”
It reads: “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.
“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 to prevent the spread of misinformation.”
Hassan, therefore, called on relevant security agencies to launch a probe into the report with a view to arrest and prosecute the culprits in line with the laws.
“Given the gravity of the report, which has the potential to cause panic and undermine confidence in the judicial system—possibly intended as a form of intimidation—we call on the relevant security agencies and regulatory authorities to conduct a thorough investigation.
“The goal being to identify and apprehend the perpetrators responsible for this false report and prosecute them in accordance with the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, particularly those relating to cybercrime, defamation, and public misinformation.”
NAN reports that Justice Omotosho had, on Thursday, commuted the death sentence of Kanu, leader of the prescribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), to life imprisonment after he was found guilty of the seven-count terrorism offences.
The judge sentenced him to life imprisonment in relation to counts one, two, four, five and six which carried death sentence each.
For count three, relating to the offences of belonging to a proscribed terrorist group, Justice Omotosho sentenced him to 20 years imprisonment without an option of fine.
On count seven, bordering on his unlawful importation of a radio transmitter for the purpose of furthering the clandestine activities of Radio Biafra, which is not registered in Nigeria, the judge sentenced him to five years imprisonment without an option of fine.
He, however, said that to further extend the mercy on the defendant, counts three and seven would run concurrently,
The judge, who noted that Kanu had been unruly all through the trial, said the law allowed the court to sentence him to death for the terrorism offences, but that he (the judge), as a Christian, chose to be merciful to the defendant, citing Mathew 23:23.
Justice Omotosho equally considered the allocutus made by Rep Obi Aguocha, representing Ikwuano/Umuahia North/Umuahia South Federal Constituency of Abia in the National Assembly, on Kanu’s behalf.
He ordered that the IPOB leader be kept in a protective custody in any part of the country, but not in Kuje Correctional Centre, Abuja and that the radio transmitter be forfeited to the Federal Government.
Besides, the judge ordered that Kanu, while in custody, should be restricted from making use of digital devices to prevent him from further incitement.
He held that if Kanu must make use of a digital device, this must be closely monitored by the Office of the National Security Adviser.
The judge held that regarding other exhibits found with Kanu, the Department of State Services (DSS), the prosecuting agency, could bring an application for forfeiture to the Federal Government after the expiration of 90 days of appeal.
Justice Omotosho, who described Kanu’s conduct as “unruly behaviours,” said the defendant was not remorseful.
“I have no hesitation to conclude that the defendant has tendency of violence and it has not left him,” the judge had said.
(NAN)
