The Attorney General of Nigeria and Justice Minister, Abubakar Malami has declared that pardoning the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, is premature for now.
Malami spoke Wednesday night while appearing as a guest on Channels Television’s Politics Today.
“Pardon is a function of conviction in the Nigerian context and as far as I know, Nnamdi Kanu has not been convicted yet. So, the idea of pardoning him is premature,” the Attorney General of the Federation said.
While underlining that he is not ruling out the possibility, Malami stated that pardoning Kanu is not an option at this time.
Malami stated as it was announced that Kanu would be arraigned before the Federal High Court in Abuja today for a possible bail hearing.
When Kanu’s attorneys staged a walkout during the last hearing, Justice Binta Nyako delayed the case until January 19, 2022.
The unusual hearing comes only days after South East politicians met with President Muhammadu Buhari to request Kanu’s pardon.
Buhari described the request as weighty as he does not want to interfere with the judiciary.
But observers believe a bail for the IPOB leader may open a path for the resolution of the Kanu problem.
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