Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has denied reports circulating online that it arrested or invited Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja for investigation.
Gatekeepers News reports that anti-corruption agency described the claim as false and misleading, stressing that it had no involvement in any action against the judge. In a statement, the commission said the information being shared in a viral video was fabricated and intended to mislead the public.
“The commission states categorically that the claim contained in the video is entirely untrue and intended to spread mischief and mislead members of the public,” the ICPC said.
According to the agency, it has neither arrested nor invited the judge for questioning and is not conducting any investigation involving him.
The commission also clarified that it lacks the legal authority to investigate serving judicial officers, explaining that such matters fall within the jurisdiction of the National Judicial Council (NJC), which oversees discipline and accountability within the judiciary.
“For the avoidance of doubt the ICPC has no mandate to investigate serving judicial officers,” the statement added, while urging the public to disregard the viral claims and avoid spreading unverified information that could damage reputations.
Justice Omotosho has been the subject of several rumours in recent months. Some earlier social media reports claimed he narrowly escaped an assassination attempt after delivering a controversial judgment, while others alleged that he had been summoned by the International Criminal Court. Authorities later dismissed those reports as false.
The judge had attracted significant public attention in November 2025 after sentencing the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, to life imprisonment following a terrorism conviction.
