Sunday Jackson, a farmer in Adamawa State, was sentenced to death for overpowering Buba Bawuro, a herder, in 2021, who invaded his farm to kill him.
His freedom was announced on Tuesday by Humwashi Wonosikou, the governor of Adamawa State’s chief press secretary.
The pardon is in commemoration of Christmas and New Year celebrations,” the announcement reads.
WHO IS SUNDAY JACKSON?
Until 2015, Sunday Jackson was a farmer based in the Dong Community in the Demsa Local Government Area (LGA) of Adamawa State. Jackson was working on his farm in 2015 when Buba Bawuro, a herdsman, brought his cattle onto the farm, and they started feeding on his crops.
When Jackson challenged Bawuro, the herdsman, armed with a knife, attacked him, and although he was wounded, Jackson managed to retrieve the knife from his attacker and return the stabs. Bawuro later died from the stab wounds.
Although he argued that he acted in self-defence, the Yola High Court held that he was guilty and sentenced him to death in 2021. The ruling judge, Fatima Ahmed Tafida, held that Jackson could have fled the scene after disarming Baruwo. Jackson’s actions also carried a death sentence under Section 211 of the Penal Code.
In March, to the dismay of human rights advocates and legal experts, the Supreme Court upheld the death sentence ruling.
Jackson had been remanded in Kuje Medium Security Custodial Centre, Abuja, up until his pardon on Tuesday.
