THE decision of Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Fintiri, to pardon Sunday Jackson, a farmer who spent over a decade on death row for killing a man he said attacked him on his farm, has continued to draw widespread reactions from human rights groups, foreign lawmakers, faith-based organisations and members of the public.
Jackson, who was sentenced to death in 2021 despite pleading self-defence, was among three inmates granted a state pardon by the governor as part of activities marking Christmas and the New Year. His release followed years of sustained local and international advocacy.
Fintiri’s spokesperson, Humwashi Wonosikou, in a statement on Tuesday, December 23, said the pardon followed recommendations from the Adamawa State Advisory Council on Prerogative of Mercy and was based on the inmates’ “significant improvement in behaviour and conduct” while in custody.
In addition to Jackson, the governor also pardoned Joseph Eugene and Maxwell Ibrahim, while remitting the sentences of five other inmates held in custodial centres across the state.
Reacting to the development, a member of the United States House of Representatives, Riley Moore, welcomed Jackson’s pardon and described it as a “positive development” in Nigeria–United States relations.
Moore, who had repeatedly raised the case during congressional hearings and meetings with Nigerian officials, said Jackson’s freedom showed a willingness by Nigerian authorities to engage with international concerns on human rights and religious persecution.
“After more than a decade in prison serving a death sentence for defending himself, Sunday Jackson has been pardoned,” Moore said in a statement, adding that Jacksom should be protected during and after his release.
He also noted that the case had become symbolic of broader security and justice concerns affecting rural communities in Nigeria.
Similarly, Hope Behind Bars Africa, a human rights organisation, commended the governor for what it described as a courageous and compassionate use of the constitutional prerogative of mercy.
In a statement signed by its executive director, Funke Adeoye, on Tuesday, the group said the pardon had corrected a “grave injustice” and underscored the failures of the criminal justice system in handling cases of self-defence.
“Sunday Jackson should never have spent a single night in detention let alone 11 years on death row” the organisation said, calling for urgent reforms to better protect the right to life and lawful self-defence.
The group also acknowledged the dissenting judgment of Supreme Court Justice Helen Ogunwumiju, which had called for clemency, as well as the efforts of lawyers, civil society organisations and faith leaders who kept the case in public discourse.
The ICIR reported that Ogunwumiju, one of the lead judges on the case at the Supreme Court, offered a different perspective on the issue of self-defence.
She argued that the lower courts had correctly identified the deceased as the initial aggressor who inflicted injuries on Jackson. Ogunwumiju questioned her fellow judges’ assessment of proportionality in the context of a life-threatening situation.
She argued that someone who had already been stabbed twice and was still under attack could not be expected to immediately cease fighting for their life the moment they gain a temporary advantage.
According to her, the deceased was the initial aggressor, and Jackson was acting in reasonable fear for his life.
Meanwhile, on social media, many Nigerians expressed relief at Jackson’s release, with users describing the pardon as long overdue. Some called on authorities to ensure the decision sets a precedent for other ‘innocent’ citizens who face violence while defending themselves.
“Justice delayed but not denied. No farmer deserves a death sentence for defending his life on his own land,” one user @LanisterThe wrote on X, echoing a sentiment widely shared online.
Jackson’s case had generated intense debate over self-defence and capital punishment in Nigeria, drawing international attention earlier this year when a US Congressman urged the Federal Government to intervene.
Although the Supreme Court upheld Jackson’s death sentence in January, a dissenting opinion had called for mercy.
The ICIR reported that the case originated from an incident in January 2015 in Kodomti village, Adamawa State. Jackson was charged under Section 221(a) of the Penal Code Laws of Adamawa State 1997 for the death of a herdsman.
According to court documents, Jackson testified that the deceased approached him on his farm, questioned him about the whereabouts of some passersby, and then allowed his cattle to graze on Jackson’s land.
When confronted, the man allegedly drew a knife and attacked the farmer, stabbing him in the back of the head and then the leg as Jackson tried to flee.
The accused recounted that fearing for his life, he managed to disarm the herder, and, in the process, stabbed him. During cross-examination, Jackson stated he did not believe his actions would result in the man’s death.
However, the prosecution presented Jackson’s confessional statement to the police where he admitted to the stabbing. The trial court, relying on this statement and rejecting the self-defence plea, found Jackson guilty and sentenced him to death.
Dissatisfied, Jackson proceeded to the Court of Appeal, seeking to overturn the trial court’s decision. However, the appellate court upheld the initial conviction and sentence, leading to the final appeal at the Supreme Court. The apex court also found him guilty.
Mustapha Usman is an investigative journalist with the International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: musman@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M