In a decisive act of executive clemency, Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Fintiri, has pardoned a local farmer, Sunday Jackson, who was sentenced to death for killing a cattle herder a decade ago in what he claimed was self-defence.
A Decade-Long Legal Battle Ends With Mercy
The journey to this pardon began in 2015 in Don village, located within the Demsa Local Government Area of Adamawa State. Sunday Jackson, a farmer, found himself in a fatal confrontation when a herder named Bawuro led his cows onto Jackson's cultivated land. After Jackson chased the animals away, Bawuro turned on him, armed with a knife.
Court records indicate that Jackson attempted to flee the attack. However, Bawuro caught up with him and stabbed him three times. A struggle followed, during which Jackson managed to wrestle the knife from his assailant and stab Bawuro in the throat, resulting in his death.
Controversial Court Rulings Spark National Debate
In 2021, an Adamawa State High Court delivered a shocking verdict, sentencing Sunday Jackson to death by hanging. The court ruled that Jackson had an opportunity to escape and should not have used lethal force against his attacker. This judgment was later upheld by the Supreme Court of Nigeria on March 7, 2025.
The case ignited a fierce national conversation about the limits of self-defence and access to justice, particularly within the context of Nigeria's persistent farmer-herder conflicts. The verdict drew mixed reactions:
- Fulani groups hailed the Supreme Court decision, viewing it as an affirmation of their rights and a response to perceived targeted attacks against their members.
- Conversely, human rights advocates and many members of the public argued the sentence was excessively harsh for an act of self-preservation.
- The debate even attracted international attention, with US Congressman Riley M. Moore publicly calling on the Nigerian government to grant Jackson a pardon.
Executive Prerogative Brings Final Resolution
Following sustained pleas from community leaders and the victim's family, Governor Ahmadu Fintiri intervened. On Monday, December 22, 2025, the Governor exercised his constitutional powers of mercy. He officially signed the pardon for Sunday Jackson, who had spent over ten years in custody, under Section 212 of the Nigerian Constitution.
This executive action brings closure to a highly polarising case that touched on deep-seated issues of security, ethnicity, and legal interpretation in Nigeria. It underscores the governor's prerogative of mercy as a final arbiter in the justice system, capable of overriding judicial sentences deemed to lack equitable consideration of all circumstances.
