The Governor of Adamawa State, Ahmadu Fintiri has granted pardon to a farmer, Sunday Jackson, who was sentenced to death by the Supreme Court for killing a suspected terrorist herder in self-defence.
The governor signed the pardon on Monday, granting the clemency under Section 212 of the Nigerian Constitution.
It is important to note that community leaders and the victim’s family pleaded with the state governor to exercise his prerogative of mercy to pardon Jackson.
Jackson, who spent over a decade in custody, was attacked on his farm in 2015, leading to the fatal altercation.
His case sparked national debate over self-defence rights and justice. It also drew attraction from the foreign community especially with the Christian genocide allegations still in place.
Jackson is a local farmer in Don village in Demsa Local Government Area of Adamawa State.
His supporters have hailed the governor’s decision as a victory for mercy and reconciliation.
Earlier, Fulani groups had hailed the Supreme Court judgment that sentenced Jackson to death by hanging for killing their kinsman.
The group, along with other Fulani indigenes, sees the verdict as an assertion of their rights and a response to what they perceive as targeted attacks against their members in various communities.
Through the government’s pardon, Jackson who has already spent 10 years in prison has now been released.
