Adamawa State Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri has granted a full pardon to Sunday Jackson, a farmer who faced the death penalty for killing a Fulani herdsman in what was widely described as an act of self-defense. The executive clemency, announced on December 23, 2025, formed part of broader Christmas gestures, which also saw the commutation of sentences for two other inmates, Joseph Eugene and Maxwell Ibrahim. This significant decision concludes a nearly decade-long legal ordeal that garnered national and international attention.
The tragic incident at the heart of the case occurred in 2015 in Kodomti village, Numan Local Government Area. Sunday Jackson, then a young student and expectant father from the Dong community, was working on his farm when herdsman Buba Ardo Bawuro allegedly allowed his cattle to destroy Jackson’s crops. A heated confrontation ensued, escalating rapidly into violence.
During the altercation, Bawuro reportedly attacked Jackson with a knife, inflicting multiple stab wounds. In a desperate struggle for survival, Jackson managed to disarm his assailant and, in self-preservation, fatally wounded the herdsman. Despite sustaining injuries himself and consistently asserting self-defense, authorities arrested Jackson and subsequently charged him with culpable homicide.
The legal battle proved protracted and controversial. An Adamawa High Court convicted Jackson in 2021, sentencing him to death by hanging. The court’s reasoning, suggesting Jackson could have fled rather than retaliated, drew sharp criticism from legal experts and human rights advocates who argued it overlooked crucial nuances of self-defense as enshrined in Sections 23 and 24 of the Adamawa Penal Code.
Jackson’s appeals progressed through the Nigerian judicial system, ultimately reaching the Supreme Court. On March 7, 2025, the nation’s highest court upheld the death sentence, intensifying public outcry and reigniting calls for clemency. By this point, Jackson had spent nearly a decade in custody, an period during which he missed the birth and formative years of his daughter.
The verdict galvanized widespread advocacy from various quarters. Influential religious organizations, including the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), condemned the ruling as a “travesty of justice” and submitted petitions for presidential mercy. Community leaders, traditional rulers, and remarkably, members of the victim’s own family joined these pleas, stressing the imperative for reconciliation amidst Nigeria’s pervasive farmer-herdsman conflicts.
The case also attracted international scrutiny. U.S. Congressman Riley Moore publicly urged the Nigerian government to pardon Jackson, framing the situation as a critical human rights concern. Moore’s intervention highlighted broader issues of rural security and the need for fair trial processes within the context of the country’s often-volatile communal disputes.
Governor Fintiri’s decision to grant the pardon followed a thorough review by the Adamawa State Advisory Council on Prerogative of Mercy. The council’s recommendations, which considered Jackson’s good conduct during incarceration and his potential for societal reintegration, formed the basis of the executive action. Chief Press Secretary Humwashi Wonosikou confirmed the move aligned with Section 212 of the 1999 Constitution, underscoring compassion during the festive season.
This act of clemency offers a significant moment for justice and reconciliation in a region frequently plagued by inter-communal violence. Supporters lauded the governor’s decision as a triumph for equity and a testament to the power of persistent advocacy. Sunday Jackson now faces the prospect of reuniting with his family, bringing an end to his long and arduous ordeal, and offering a glimmer of hope for peace in troubled communities.
