Reported by: L. Imafidon | Edited by: Gabriel Osa
In a dramatic reversal of fortune that has drawn national and international attention, Adamawa State Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri has granted clemency to Sunday Jackson, a Christian Nigerian farmer who spent more than a decade on death row for killing an armed assailant in what he and supporters described as an act of self-defence. The pardon, announced on December 23, 2025, ends one of the most controversial legal sagas in recent Nigerian history and highlights ongoing debates about self-defence rights, rural insecurity, and foreign diplomatic influence on domestic judicial matters.
Jackson’s ordeal began in January 2015 on his farm in Kodomti Village, Demsa Local Government Area of Adamawa State. Reports indicate that a herdsman, identified as Buba Bawuro, entered his farmland and, according to Jackson’s account, attacked him with a dagger while cattle trampled crops. In the struggle that followed, Jackson was stabbed and, in an effort to save his own life, overpowered the attacker, seized the weapon and fatally stabbed him. Jackson said he fled the scene in fear for his life after injuring the assailant. The incident, though rooted in a desperate bid for survival, eventually became a protracted legal battle that lasted more than a decade.
He was arrested and charged with culpable homicide, punishable by death under the Adamawa State Penal Code. In February 2021, the Yola High Court sentenced Jackson to death by hanging, a decision later upheld by the Court of Appeal and ultimately ratified by the Supreme Court of Nigeria in March 2025. The apex court’s judgment was widely criticised by legal observers, civil society groups and religious organisations, who argued that it misinterpreted Nigerian law by suggesting Jackson should have fled instead of defending himself even after being stabbed and rendered physically vulnerable. Objections were particularly vocal among advocates for clearer protections of self-defence rights, who called the ruling a miscarriage of justice.
The case has also become a flashpoint in the broader context of Nigeria’s farmer–herder conflicts, which have plagued rural communities for years. These clashes, often triggered by grazing cattle damaging crops and sometimes escalating into violent confrontations, have fueled deep resentment, particularly in Middle Belt states like Adamawa, where many farmers are Christian. Critics have long contended that herder attacks are not merely economic conflicts but are intertwined with religious and ethnic tensions, adding layers of complexity to disputes over land use and security in Nigeria’s agrarian regions.
As Jackson’s appeal exhausted local judicial avenues, attention increasingly turned to political avenues for relief. Christian organisations and human rights advocates mounted sustained campaigns domestically and abroad, pressing for executive clemency. The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and other groups decried the Supreme Court’s verdict as unjust, urging Governor Fintiri to use his constitutional prerogative of mercy to save Jackson’s life.
International advocacy played a notable role in amplifying the case. In late 2025, U.S. Congressman Riley Moore publicly called on the Nigerian government to reconsider Jackson’s fate during a congressional hearing addressing violence and persecution in Nigeria. Moore highlighted the paradox of a man facing death for defending his life while armed herders continue to operate with relative impunity in many rural communities. His intervention is believed to have contributed to diplomatic pressure on Nigerian authorities, adding an international dimension to what was otherwise a domestic criminal justice matter.
In announcing the pardon, Governor Fintiri framed the decision as part of his holiday clemency, which also included sentences commuted for other inmates on death row. In a statement, the governor’s office said the pardons were granted following recommendations by the Adamawa State Advisory Council on Prerogative of Mercy, and took into account factors such as improved behaviour and, implicitly, the broader circumstances of each case. Fintiri’s decision sparked immediate reactions from supporters of Jackson and civil society, many of whom celebrated the move as a long-awaited vindication of justice and common sense.
Reactions within Nigeria have been mixed. Supporters of Jackson view the pardon as a moral victory and a relief for rural farming communities that have often felt neglected in policy and security matters. They argue that the legal system’s initial refusal to acknowledge the legitimacy of self-defence in life-threatening situations set a dangerous precedent. Religious leaders and human rights advocates have emphasised that the case illustrates the need for clearer legal protections that recognise the realities of violent attacks faced by farmers, particularly in regions where state security presence is minimal.
However, some legal experts caution that while the pardon absolves Jackson from execution, it does not necessarily resolve the underlying legal ambiguities surrounding self-defence in Nigerian jurisprudence. They argue that the Supreme Court’s ruling, even though effectively bypassed through executive clemency, highlights an urgent need for legislative reform to clarify the parameters of lawful self-defence and ensure fairer outcomes in future cases.
The broader implications of Jackson’s case resonate against the backdrop of Nigeria’s ongoing struggle with rural insecurity. Attacks by armed herders have inflicted widespread harm, with many farmers reporting loss of life and destruction of property. These conflicts, compounded by climate pressures and competition for scarce resources, have exacerbated socio-economic strains in agrarian communities. Relief for individuals like Jackson is welcomed, but many activists say systemic reforms are necessary to address the root causes of violence and to afford ordinary citizens equitable protection under the law.
As Sunday Jackson begins a new chapter of freedom after more than a decade behind bars, his pardon is seen by many as a testament to the influence of combined domestic advocacy and international diplomatic engagement. Whether this case will catalyse broader reform in Nigeria’s legal treatment of self-defence remains an open question, but for Jackson and his family, the relief is undeniable.
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