Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa State has granted a state pardon to Sunday Jackson, a farmer who was sentenced to death for killing a herdsman in what many Nigerians described as an act of self-defence.
Jackson, who had been on death row at the Kuje Medium Security Custodial Centre, Abuja, was among three inmates pardoned by the governor as part of activities marking the Christmas and New Year celebrations.
The decision was announced on Tuesday in Yola in a statement issued by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Humwashi Wonosikou, who said the exercise was carried out in line with the governor’s constitutional powers of mercy.
Jackson’s case had generated nationwide attention and sustained public outcry after he was convicted for killing a herdsman during a confrontation on his farmland.
Rights groups, religious bodies and civil society organisations had persistently called for executive intervention, insisting that the farmer acted to save his life.
Also Read: Fintiri seeks revival of Margi national attire
In addition to Jackson, the governor also pardoned Joseph Eugene, an inmate at the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Yola, and Maxwell Ibrahim, who is serving his sentence at the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Kaduna.
The governor further approved the full remission of sentences for five other inmates. They include Joshua James Audo, Adamu Ibrahim, Mohammed Abubakar, Ibrahim Usman and Saidu Abubakar, who are serving at the Medium Security Custodial Centres in Numan and Jada.
Wonosikou said the inmates were considered for clemency after demonstrating notable improvement in behaviour and conduct during their time in custody, adding that the gesture was meant to give them a second chance at life.
The pardon of Jackson, in particular, has been welcomed by many Nigerians who see the decision as a significant step toward justice, mercy and the protection of the right to self-defence, especially in cases involving farmers and herders.
Governor Fintiri’s action adds to a growing call for broader legal and policy reforms on self-defence and the use of capital punishment in Nigeria.
Daily Post
