The Attorney-General of the federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami SAN has said that the Anambra state Governor, Chukwuma Soludo has not formally requested to stand as surety for the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu.
Soludo had on January 14 urged the Federal Government to release Kanu, saying it will bring peace to the South East.
Soludo made the appeal during the All Progressive Grand Alliance Campaign kick-off in Awka on Saturday.
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Reacting to the development, Malami told Premium Times that the governor is yet to explore relevant laws and provisions regarding his public call.
“There is no such request formally before the federal government or the judicial process.
“As at today, being 18 January 2023, I am not in receipt of any application arising from the public statement made by the governor of Anambra State (Chukwuma Soludo), either through the judicial process or extended to me as the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF),” Malami said.
The IPOB leader is still detained by the Department of States Service, DSS, after the federal government secured stay of execution order against an earlier verdict of the Court of Appeal which freed Kanu of all the terrorism-related charges levelled against him.
This was after his extradition from overseas in 2021 following a combined effort of Nigeria’s secret police and sister security agencies outside the country.
Parties are now before the Supreme Court for final verdict on the IPOB leader.
While litigation continues, there have been calls for his release through a political solution especially from Ohanaeze Ndigbo and Kanu’s lawyer, Mike Ozekhome SAN.
But President Muhammadu Buhari had said he would not interfere with the judicial process.