Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa State has granted state pardon to Sunday Jackson, a farmer who was sentenced to death for allegedly killing a Fulani herder who attacked him.
Jackson faced a single charge of culpable homicide, which carries the death penalty, under Section 221 (a) of the Penal Code, for allegedly killing Buba Bawura on January 27, 2025.
The incident occurred in Kodomti Village, Numan Local Governmwnt Area, where Jackson claimed he killed Bawura after disarming him.
Jackson stated that Bawura attacked him, while pursuing individuals who had killed his cattle with a dagger, and during the scuffle, he managed to snatch the dagger from Bawura and used it to stab him in self-defense.
Despite his claims of self-defense, Jackson was convicted by the trial court, the Court of Appeal, and the Supreme Court.
However, national and international pressure was mounted to free Jackson from death row, as many believed his actions were justified, and has ultimately influenced Gov. Fintiri’s decision to grant Jackson state pardon.
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In addition to Jackson, Gov. Fintiri also pardoned Joseph Eugene and Maxwell Ibrahim, who were also on death row at the Medium Security Custodial Centres in Yola and Kaduna, respectively.
“This pardon is a celebration of Christmas and New Year,” stated Humwashi Wonosikou, the Chief Press Secretary to Gov. Fintiri, in a statement announcing the pardons on Tuesday.
Furthermore, the sentences of Joshua James Audo, Adamu Ibrahim, Mohammed Abubakar, Ibrahim Usman, and Saidu Abubakar have been fully commuted, all of whom are serving in Numan and Jada.
Gov. Fintiri cited the inmates’ notable improvements in behavior as a reason for exercising his constitutional prerogative of mercy, as recommended by the Adamawa State Advisory Council on Prerogative of Mercy, Wonosikou added.
