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, granted on December 23, 2025, was issued under the governor’s constitutional prerogative of mercy as part of a Christmas and New Year clemency exercise in the state.
The decision followed recommendations by 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 release, Governor Fintiri also pardoned two other inmates and commuted the sentences of five others, citing their good conduct while in custody.
The pardon of Sunday Jackson effectively brings to a close a long-running and emotionally charged campaign by human rights groups, religious bodies and civil society organisations, who had consistently argued that the farmer acted in self-defence during the incident that led to his conviction.
Jackson’s case had drawn national attention over the years, becoming a rallying point for advocates calling for judicial compassion, especially in cases linked to farmer–herder violence. The governor’s decision is being widely viewed as a significant humanitarian gesture and a major relief for campaigners who had pressed for his release.
The clemency exercise, according to government sources, underscores the administration’s commitment to justice tempered with mercy, particularly during the festive season.
