Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, has granted a pardon to Sunday Jackson, a farmer who was sentenced to death, as part of activities marking the Christmas and New Year celebrations.
A statement issued by the Governor’s spokesperson, Humwashi Wonosikou, said Jackson, who is currently held at the Kuje Medium Security Custodial Centre, was pardoned alongside Joseph Eugene from the Yola Medium Security Custodial Centre and Maxwell Ibrahim from the Kaduna Medium Security Custodial Centre.
The pardon followed growing international attention to Jackson’s case, after a member of the United States House of Representatives, Riley Moore, urged the Nigerian government to grant him clemency.
Moore made the call during a U.S. House hearing on President Donald Trump’s redesignation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC), describing the conviction as unjust.
According to Moore, Jackson was defending himself when he killed his attacker, whom he identified as a Fulani militant.
“I would urge the Nigerian government to take a look at pardoning Sunday Jackson, who was fighting for his own life.
“That Fulani militant lost his life in that struggle, and now Sunday Jackson is facing the death penalty. Where is the justice in that?” Moore asked.
In addition to the three pardoned inmates, Governor Fintiri also approved the remission of sentences for five others: Joshua James Audo, Adamu Ibrahim, Mohammed Abubakar, Ibrahim Usman, and Saidu Abubakar, who are serving sentences at the Medium Security Custodial Centres in Numan and Jada.
The governor said the beneficiaries had shown significant improvement in their conduct while in custody.
Exercising his constitutional powers, Fintiri stated that the decision was taken in line with the recommendations of the Adamawa State Advisory Council on Prerogative of Mercy.
“Therefore, in the exercise of my prerogative of mercy as enshrined in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, I have granted pardon to three persons and directed the remission of the remainder of the sentences of five others who have demonstrated good conduct over the years,” he said.
