By Charles Maduka
The Governor of Adamawa State, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, has granted a pardon to Sunday Jackson, a farmer who was previously sentenced to death for killing a herder in what supporters described as self-defence. The pardon was announced as part of the state government’s Christmas and New Year clemency exercise, in line with the governor’s constitutional powers.
Sunday Jackson had been held at the Kuje Medium Security Custodial Centre after the Supreme Court upheld his death sentence over the killing of a herdsman identified as Buba Bawuro during a violent confrontation on his farm. The case attracted nationwide attention, with human rights groups and civil society organisations calling for clemency on grounds of self-defence and alleged miscarriage of justice.
In addition to Jackson, Governor Fintiri also granted full pardons to two other inmates, Joseph Eugene and Maxwell Ibrahim. Joseph Eugene was serving his sentence at the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Yola New, while Maxwell Ibrahim was held at the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Kaduna. The pardon clears all remaining legal penalties against the three individuals.
The governor also approved the remission of sentences for five other inmates who were said to have demonstrated good conduct during their time in custody. Those affected are Joshua James Audo, Adamu Ibrahim, Mohammed Abubakar, Ibrahim Usman, and Saidu Abubakar, who were serving sentences in custodial centres in Numan and Jada.
The decision followed recommendations from the Adamawa State Advisory Council on the Prerogative of Mercy, which considers factors such as character, reform, and rehabilitation. The move has been welcomed by prison reform advocates, while the case of Sunday Jackson continues to fuel broader debates on self-defence, justice, and the application of capital punishment in Nigeria.
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