Adamawa State Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri has exercised his constitutional prerogative of mercy to pardon Sunday Jackson, a farmer who had been on death row for nearly a decade after being convicted of killing a herder in what supporters say was an act of self-defence. The pardon was announced on Tuesday as part of the state’s Christmas and New Year clemency programme, and comes after widespread public debate on the case and persistent calls for mercy by civil society groups and religious organisations. Jackson had been held at the Kuje Medium Security Custodial Centre following a conviction upheld through multiple levels of the judiciary.
In addition to Jackson’s release, Governor Fintiri also granted full pardons to Joseph Eugene and Maxwell Ibrahim, who were serving sentences in custodial centres in Yola and Kaduna, respectively. The governor further approved the full remission of the remaining jail terms of five other inmates — Joshua James Audo, Adamu Ibrahim, Mohammed Abubakar, Ibrahim Usman, and Saidu Abubakar — recognising their improved behaviour while incarcerated.
The decision has sparked strong reactions nationwide, drawing praise from human rights activists, faith-based organisations and international figures who had highlighted concerns over the proportionality of the original sentence and the broader implications for farmers confronting security challenges.
Many observers see the pardon as a compassionate gesture that balances justice with mercy, particularly given the controversial nature of Jackson’s conviction and the ongoing debate over rights of self-defence in Nigeria’s rural communities.
