The Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN), on Wednesday, disclosed that it is premature to pardon leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, noting that Kanu is still standing trial for terrorism-related charges.

Malami made the disclosure during a Channels Television’s current affairs programme, ‘Politics Today’, while reacting to Kanu’s scheduled appearance before Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday.

When asked if there is possibility of an out-of-court settlement to free the IPOB leader, Malami said a political solution is not on the table at the moment, insisting that the idea of a pardon for Kanu is premature because he is still standing trial before a court of law.

He said, “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 against the backdrop that the trials associated with him have not been concluded but one thing I can tell you is that he is standing trial and the trial continues as at today.”

Asked whether the release of Kanu would contribute to the healing of the South-East, the AGF said, “I have not accessed the security situation of that in terms of being a solution.