Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Fintiri, has granted a pardon to Sunday Jackson, who was sentenced to death, as part of activities marking the Christmas and New Year celebrations.
A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Humwashi Wonosikou, said Jackson, who is being held at the Kuje Medium Security Custodial Centre, was pardoned alongside Joseph Eugene from the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Yola, and Maxwell Ibrahim, serving at the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Kaduna.
The development followed calls by a member of the United States House of Representatives, Riley Moore, who urged the Nigerian government to pardon Jackson, a farmer sentenced to death for killing an attacker while trying to defend himself.
Moore, speaking during a U.S. House of Representatives hearing on President Donald Trump’s redesignation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC), said the verdict convicting Jackson was unfair.
“I would urge the Nigerian government to take a look at pardoning Sunday Jackson, who is an individual who was fighting for his own life, defending his life against one of these Fulani militants,” Moore, a Republican, said during the hearing on Thursday.
“That Fulani militant lost his life in that struggle, and now that person, Sunday Jackson, is facing the death penalty. Where is the justice in that?”
Other beneficiaries of the governor’s decision include Joshua James Audo, Adamu Ibrahim, Mohammed Abubakar, Ibrahim Usman, and Saidu Abubakar, serving at the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Human, and the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Jada.
Governor Fintiri said the inmates had demonstrated significant improvement in their behaviour and conduct.
“Therefore, in the exercise of my prerogative of mercy as enshrined in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and in line with the recommendations of the Adamawa State Advisory Council on Prerogative of Mercy.
“I have granted pardon to three persons and directed the remission of the remainder of the sentences of five others who have served various jail terms and have significantly demonstrated good conduct over the years,” he said.
