U.S. Congressman Urges Nigeria to Pardon Farmer Sentenced to Death for Killing Herdsman

U.S. Representative Riley Moore has called on the Nigerian government to grant clemency to Sunday
Jackson, a farmer condemned to death after killing a herdsman in what he described as self-defence.
Jackson, an Adamawa‐State farmer, was involved in a confrontation in 2015 with Buba Bawuro, a Fulani
herdsman, who reportedly trespassed on Jackson’s farm with cattle. According to Jackson, Bawuro
attacked him with a knife.

During the scuffle, Jackson wrestled the knife from Bawuro and fatally stabbed him. In 2021, a high
court in Yola sentenced Jackson to death by hanging.
On March 7, 2025, Nigeria’s Supreme Court affirmed the death sentence, rejecting Jackson’s self-
defence argument. During a U.S. House of Representatives hearing on Nigeria, Moore described
Jackson’s conviction as a miscarriage of justice.

He argued that Jackson was defending his life. “He was fighting for his own life … defending his life
against one of these Fulani militants,” Moore said.
Moore raised concerns that Jackson is facing the death penalty while, in his view, heavily armed
herdsmen operate with impunity. He appealed to Nigerian authorities to review the case and consider a
pardon.

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) of Nigeria has condemned Jackson’s death sentence,
calling it a serious human rights issue.
Civil society groups and concerned citizens have also called for clemency, citing Jackson’s self-defence
claim and the broader context of farmer-herder violence in Nigeria.
The father of the deceased herdsman, Ardo Bawuro, has reportedly written to the Adamawa State
Governor, advocating for Jackson’s pardon, saying his family has forgiven him.
The case highlights longstanding tensions between farmers and herdsmen in Nigeria, a source of
repeated violence and political unrest.

It raises legal and human rights questions about the use of the death penalty, especially in cases where
self-defence is claimed.
Moore’s intervention reflects growing international scrutiny over Nigeria’s human rights record and its
handling of security issues.
The Adamawa State Governor, who has the constitutional power to grant clemency, may be pressured
to act, given both domestic calls for mercy and international attention.
If pardoned, Jackson’s case could become a symbolic test of how Nigeria handles justice, security, and
human rights in its ongoing farmer-herder conflict.

By Oyinkansola Shittu.

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