The Pardon and the Uncertain Fate of Sunday Jackson
The Nigerian Correctional Service is currently waiting for a court order to release Sunday Jackson, a farmer from Adamawa State who was on death row. Governor Ahmadu Fintiri granted Jackson a state pardon on Tuesday, but the process of his actual release remains unclear.
Jackson was convicted of killing a Fulani herder who was grazing cattle on his farm. The trial court sentenced him to death, and this decision was later confirmed by the Supreme Court. His case has sparked national and international attention, with some members of the United States Congress calling for his release.
Governor Fintiri announced Jackson’s pardon on Tuesday, marking what many saw as a significant moment in the legal proceedings. However, the actual release has not yet occurred, raising questions about the next steps in the process.
Administrative Procedures Completed
On Thursday, Adamawa State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Afraimu Jingi, told our correspondent that all administrative procedures required for Jackson’s release had been completed on Wednesday. He stated that all the necessary documents were sent electronically, and hard copies were also delivered to the authorities at the correctional center for his release.
“Jackson is supposed to be out of prison today (Thursday), because all the needed documents were sent electronically and personal delivery of hard copies was also made to the authorities of the correctional centre for his release,” the attorney general said.
He added, “Adamawa State Government has done everything that it is legally binding on the state for his release.”
However, checks by The PUNCH on Thursday showed that Jackson remained in custody. An NCoS official at the Kuje Custodial Centre, who spoke on condition of anonymity for lack of authorization, said Jackson had not yet been released.
“He hasn’t been released. He can only be released when we have the release order which only comes from the court,” the official said.
Background of the Case
Jackson’s case stems from an incident in which he sustained serious injuries while attempting to chase herders away from his farm. During a struggle, he overpowered one of them, leading to the herder’s death.
Earlier this year, the Supreme Court upheld his conviction and death sentence, sparking widespread public debate. In November 2025, U.S. Congressman Riley Moore called on the Nigerian government to pardon Jackson, describing the killing as an act of self-defense.
“Moore argued that Jackson acted to protect his life during the confrontation and questioned the fairness of imposing the death penalty in such circumstances,” reports said.
Public Celebration and Broader Impact
Following the announcement of the pardon on Tuesday, commercial activities in parts of Yola were temporarily disrupted as residents shut shops and businesses to celebrate what many described as a long-awaited act of justice.
In a statement, Governor Fintiri’s Chief Press Secretary, Humwashi Wonosikou, said Jackson, who was awaiting execution at the Kuje Medium Security Custodial Centre, Abuja, was pardoned alongside Joseph Eugene from the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Yola, and Maxwell Ibrahim, serving at the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Kaduna.
“Jackson, who is in Kuje Medium Security Custodial Centre, has been pardoned alongside Joseph Eugene from the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Yola, and Maxwell Ibrahim, serving at the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Kaduna,” Wonosikou said.
He added that the governor also approved the remission of the remaining jail terms of five other inmates—Joshua James Audo, Adamu Ibrahim, Mohammed Abubakar, Ibrahim Usman, and Saidu Abubakar—serving sentences at the Medium Security Custodial Centres in Numan and Jada.
“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,” Fintiri said.
