The Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri of Adamawa State has granted a state pardon to Sunday Jackson, a death row inmate whose case has long been described by advocates as one of the gravest miscarriages of justice in Nigeria’s history.
The pardon brings to an end over 11 years of incarceration for Jackson, who was sentenced to death after a controversial conviction arising from a violent encounter in which he claimed self-defense.
Emmanuel Ogebe, counsel to Sunday Jackson, confirmed the development in a detailed statement expressing relief and gratitude over the governor’s exercise of the prerogative of mercy.
“I received with elation the delightful news that Governor Fintiri of Adamawa exercised his prerogative of mercy in favour of my death row client Sunday Jackson, ending one of the worst miscarriages of justice in Nigerian history,” Ogebe said.
According to Ogebe, Jackson had become “the most famous Nigerian on death row,” symbolizing broader failures in governance, justice, and citizen protection.
“A country that cannot protect its citizens from mass murder condemned to death a citizen who protected himself from murder,” he stated.
Jackson’s case attracted sustained attention locally and internationally, with advocacy efforts spanning Nigeria, the United States, and the United Kingdom.
Ogebe extended appreciation to multiple stakeholders who played roles in bringing attention to the case, including the Adamawa State Government, the Federal Government of Nigeria, and international partners.
Special recognition was given to His Royal Majesty, the Hama Bachama, for what was described as “fatherly intervention,” as well as to Ardo Bawuro, the father of the deceased herdsman, whose forgiveness Ogebe described as “gracious” and “magnanimous.”
“Ardo Bawuro should be honored for disproving the negative stereotype that Fulanis are murderous, vindictive and unforgiving souls,” the statement read.
Ogebe also praised Hon. Justice Helen Ogunwumiju for her dissenting opinion in the Supreme Court, which he said exposed grave injustices in the original judgment and provided a foundation for the pardon by deeming Jackson a “proper candidate.”
He further acknowledged the Justice for Jackson Joint Freedom Taskforce (JJJFT), a volunteer-driven advocacy group operating across Nigeria, the U.S., and the U.K.
, Ogebe emphasized that Jackson’s freedom marks only the beginning of a longer journey toward justice.
He detailed the profound personal losses Jackson suffered during his incarceration, including the loss of his home in a violent attack, the remarriage and subsequent death of his wife, and the loss of 11 years of fatherhood to a daughter he only learned about when she was six years old.
“He’s lost everything,” Ogebe said. “Jackson should never have spent a day in prison, much less 11 years.”
The statement concluded with strong calls for systemic reform, urging the Supreme Court to review what was described as a “terrible judgment,” and calling on the National Assembly to clarify Nigeria’s self-defense laws.
Ogebe also demanded compensation for Jackson’s losses, arguing that justice would remain incomplete without restitution.
“The state saved him from death at the hands of the state,” he said. “God bless Adamawa State, and God have mercy on Nigeria.”
