REBUTTAL: Justice Lifu Was In Court Delivering Judgment, Not Hospitalised or Flown to London
By Danjuma Yusuf
The viral “Breaking News” claiming that Justice Peter O. Lifu, who nullified Atiku Abubakar’s candidacy, was rushed to the National Hospital in Abuja over breathing difficulty and is being airlifted to London is FALSE, MALICIOUS AND A COMPLETE FABRICATION.
The latest proof has now exposed the liars. Justice Lifu was not in hospital. He was in court. He was on the bench delivering judgment on Wednesday.
THE SMOKING GUN: WEDNESDAY’S JUDGMENT
On that same Wednesday that mischief makers claimed he was fighting for his life and being flown to London, Justice Lifu delivered a major judgment in Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/494/2024.
In that judgment, reported by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Justice Lifu ordered the extradition of a Nigerian, Temitope Seyi Omotade, to the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota to face trial over alleged wire fraud, mail fraud and aggravated identity theft.
The judge held that the application by the Attorney-General of the Federation was meritorious, dismissed Omotade’s health and other objections, and made an order extraditing him to the US.
Ask yourself one simple question: How can a man who was allegedly rushed to National Hospital on Tuesday evening with breathing difficulty, and being airlifted to London because doctors in Abuja could not handle his case, be sitting in court on Wednesday delivering a detailed, reasoned judgment on extradition, wire fraud, and the Extradition Act?
He cannot because it never happened.
OTHER FACTS THAT EXPOSE THE LIE:
1. No hospital, no airlift, no emergency.
No statement from the National Hospital, Abuja, the Federal High Court, the National Judicial Council, or Justice Lifu’s family has confirmed any hospitalisation. No credible newspaper, TV station, or court source has reported it.
2. The ADC judgment is also alive.
The Certified True Copy (CTC) of Justice Lifu’s judgment in the ADC case, Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025, was also obtained and released on Wednesday. A judge supposedly on life support does not have two major judgments circulating on the same day.
3. This is a calculated distraction.
The fake health story surfaced exactly when ADC supporters were protesting at the Federal High Court in Abuja, demanding the CTC to enable them file their appeal. When they could not defeat the judgment on law, they resorted to attacking the judge with a fake illness story to create sympathy, confusion, and to discredit the court.
4. Attack the judgment in court, not the judge on social media.
If anyone disagrees with Justice Lifu’s decision nullifying the David Mark-led ADC leadership and all decisions taken under it, including Atiku’s nomination, the Constitution provides a clear remedy: APPEAL to the Court of Appeal. Fabricating a medical emergency is not an appeal ground. It is fake news.
We urge the public to DISREGARD the report that Justice Lifu was hospitalised or flown abroad. It is false.
Justice Lifu is NOT in hospital. He was NOT rushed to National Hospital. He was NOT airlifted to London. He was in court on Wednesday doing his job and delivering judgment.
Anyone spreading this falsehood should be asked to provide one single proof, a hospital statement, a family statement, or a court statement. They have none, because it never happened.
