Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, has granted a state pardon to Sunday Jackson, a farmer who spent about 11 years on death row after being convicted for killing a herdsman during an attack on his farm.
The pardon, approved on December 23, 2025, was granted under the governor’s constitutional prerogative of mercy as part of a Christmas and New Year clemency exercise.
The decision followed recommendations from the Adamawa State Advisory Council on Prerogative of Mercy and was officially confirmed by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Humwashi Wonosikou.
In addition to Jackson’s pardon, Governor Fintiri also granted clemency to seven other inmates. Two inmates were fully pardoned, while the sentences of five others were commuted, with the governor citing good conduct and rehabilitation as key considerations.
Sunday Jackson’s case had attracted sustained national and international attention over the years, with human rights groups, religious bodies, and civil society organisations repeatedly calling for his release. Advocates argued that Jackson acted in self-defence during the fatal encounter, which occurred when his farm was allegedly attacked.
The governor’s decision brings to an end a prolonged campaign for justice in the case and has been welcomed by rights advocates as a significant step toward addressing concerns over wrongful convictions and the use of the death penalty.
