The federal high court in Abuja has rejected a reportclaiming that James Omotosho, a judge, narrowly escaped an assassinationattempt after sentencing Nnamdi Kanu to life imprisonment. In a statement on Sunday signed by Sulaiman Hassan, thechief registrar, the court said its attention was drawn to the report posted bya blog. It described the report as “completely false and unfounded”,adding that it is “fake news” deliberately crafted to mislead the public andsow distrust in the judiciary. “The public is advised to treat this publication as fakenews and refrain from further dissemination to prevent the spread ofmisinformation,” the statement reads. The court expressed concern that the story could causepanic, erode confidence in the justice system, and may be part of a plot tointimidate judicial officers. It also implored law enforcement and regulatory agencies toidentify and prosecute persons behind the publication. “We call on the relevant security agencies and regulatoryauthorities to conduct a thorough investigation and prosecute them inaccordance with the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, particularly thoserelating to cybercrime, defamation, and public misinformation,” the statementreads. The court urged the public to remain cautious and verifyinformation before sharing — especially information on sensitive judicialmatters. On November 20, Omotosho sentenced Kanu, leader of theIndigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), to life imprisonment after the defendantwas convicted of terrorism.
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