2nd December, 2021
Pardoning the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, is premature for now, Justice Minister Abubakar Malami has declared.
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 stressing that he is not ruling the option out, Malami, however, noted that pardoning Kanu is not on the table at the moment.
Malami spoke as news broke that Kanu will be arraigned at the Federal High Court in Abuja today, for a possible bail.
At the last hearing, when Kanu’s lawyers staged a walkout, Justice Binta Nyako adjourned the case till 19 January 2022.
The special hearing comes days after leaders from the South East met with President Muhammadu Buhari to plead for 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.