ICPC Denies Arrest of Justice Omotosho

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission on Tuesday in Abuja denied reports circulating on social media that Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court had been arrested.

The anti-corruption agency said the claim, which appeared in a viral video online, was false and intended to mislead members of the public.

The clarification was made by the spokesman of the commission, John Odey, who explained that the agency had neither arrested nor invited the judge for questioning over any matter. According to the commission, the video spreading online did not reflect the true situation and should not be taken as a credible source of information.

The ICPC stated that it is not carrying out any investigation involving Justice Omotosho and has had no interaction with him regarding any alleged case. It added that the content of the viral video created unnecessary confusion and could damage reputations if allowed to spread without verification.

The agency also explained that it does not have the authority to investigate serving judicial officers. It said matters involving judges fall outside its legal responsibilities, adding that it maintains respect for the judiciary and those who serve in it.

The commission advised members of the public to avoid sharing information from unverified sources, especially when such information concerns public officials. It urged people to rely on official communication from the agency when seeking accurate updates about its work and activities.

The clarification from the ICPC came a few days after the Code of Conduct Bureau invited the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho, over allegations relating to undeclared assets.

Justice Tsoho confirmed earlier that he received the invitation from the bureau and expressed his readiness to appear before the agency.

A statement from the Federal High Court’s Director of Information, Catherine Christopher, explained that the chief judge would attend the meeting with his legal representative, Kanu Agabi, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria.

The statement also noted that the lawyer was currently outside the country for medical treatment.