The Supreme Court of Nigeria

NIGERIA: SUPREME COURT UPHOLDS DEATH SENTENCE FOR MAN WHO KILLED ATTACKER IN ‘SELF-DEFENCE’

March 24, 2025:

The Supreme Court of Nigeria on March 7, 2025 upheld the death sentence of Sunday Jackson, a farmer in his 30s, for killing a Fulani herdsman, Ardo Bawuro, in an altercation on his farmland.
The Christian Association of Nigeria in the 19 northern states and Abuja has strongly condemned the Supreme Court’s judgment sentencing Jackson, a farmer from Adamawa State, to death by hanging for what he claimed was an act of self-defence.
In a statement issued in Kaduna on March 11, Chairman of Northern CAN, Rev. John Hayab, described the judgment as a “grave travesty of justice” and called on Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, to grant Jackson a pardon.
“We are shocked and disappointed by the Supreme Court’s judgment, which we believe contradicts the provisions of the Adamawa State Penal Code, Sections 23 and 24. We appeal to Governor Fintiri to exercise his prerogative of mercy and pardon Sunday Jackson, who has suffered greatly due to the misinterpretation of the law and the prolonged trial,” Hayab said.
According to CAN, Jackson was attacked by a group of assailants on his farm and acted in self-defence, overpowering his attackers and unintentionally causing the death of Bawuro. Despite his plea of self-defence, Jackson was charged under Section 211 of the Adamawa State Penal Code for intentionally killing the deceased and subsequently sentenced to death.
The association argued that the trial judge misinterpreted Section 23 of the Adamawa State Penal Code, which recognises the right to self-defence, by ruling that Jackson should have fled instead of fighting back.
The statement also pointed out that Jackson had been stabbed in the leg and was physically impaired, making escape impossible.
CAN further criticised the prolonged nature of the trial, which lasted six and a half years, emphasizing that Jackson spent 167 days awaiting judgment—a violation of the 1999 Constitution, which mandates that judgments be delivered within 90 days.
Rev. Hayab labelled the judgment “a miscarriage of justice” and reiterated CAN’s call for Governor Fintiri to intervene and correct the injustice.
“We believe that Governor Fintiri has the power to right this wrong and grant Sunday Jackson a pardon. This case highlights how the justice system can fail, and we urge the governor to act swiftly in the spirit of peacebuilding and reconciliation,” he said.