A farmer named Sunday Jackson has been pardoned. He was on death row in Nigeria. The news came on a recent Tuesday.
The governor of Adamawa State made the announcement. The governor’s chief press secretary shared the details. A human rights lawyer also confirmed the news.
The pardon is part of Christmas and New Year celebrations. Sunday Jackson was in the Kuje Medium Security Custodial Centre. He is now free after many years in prison.
Who Is Sunday Jackson?
Sunday Jackson was a farmer in Adamawa State. He lived in the Dong community. This is in the Demsa Local Government Area.
The trouble started in 2015. He was working on his farm. A herdsman named Buba Bawuro brought his cattle onto the farm. The cattle began eating Jackson’s crops.
Jackson asked the herdsman to leave. An argument started. The herdsman, Buba Bawuro, had a knife. He attacked Jackson with it.
Jackson was wounded in the fight. But he managed to get the knife away from the herdsman. He then used the knife to defend himself. Buba Bawuro was stabbed and later died from his injuries.
The Long Legal Battle
Jackson said he acted in self-defence. He said he was protecting his life. However, the court did not agree.
In 2021, a judge at the Yola High Court found him guilty. The judge was Fatima Ahmed Tafida. She said Jackson could have run away after taking the knife. She sentenced him to death.
The law used was Section 211 of the Penal Code. This law can give a death sentence for such acts.
Jackson’s lawyer appealed the decision. But in March of this year, the Supreme Court agreed with the lower court. They upheld the death sentence. This disappointed many human rights activists and legal experts.
The Pardon and Imprisonment
Jackson was held in prison for almost 11 years. His lawyer, Emmanuel Ogebe, gave more details. Jackson was not in Kuje prison the whole time. He was in maximum security prisons for most of his captivity. He was moved to Kuje only recently.
Then, on Tuesday, Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri granted him a pardon. The pardon was a special act for the holiday season. It means Sunday Jackson is finally free after a long and difficult ordeal.