JUST IN: Christian Nigerian farmer, who killed an armed Islamic radical in self-defense after being violently attacked on his farm, saved from the death penalty after U.S. pressure.
“Sunday Jackson is free!” said @RepRileyMoore.
“After more than a decade in prison serving a… pic.twitter.com/IGqXB1ZLZR
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) December 23, 2025
A Nigerian Christian farmer who spent over a decade on death row for killing an armed attacker in self-defense has been pardoned following intense pressure from the United States government, officials announced Tuesday.
Sunday Jackson, sentenced to death in 2021 for killing a Fulani herdsman who violently attacked him on his farm, was granted clemency by Adamawa State Governor Ahmadu Fintiri in what U.S. officials are calling a significant development in U.S.-Nigeria relations.
“Sunday Jackson is free!” U.S. Congressman Riley Moore announced on X. “After more than a decade in prison serving a death sentence for defending himself, Sunday Jackson has been pardoned.”
The 2015 Incident
Jackson, a farmer in the Dong Community in Demsa Local Government Area of Adamawa State, was working on his farm in 2015 when Buba Bawuro, a herdsman, brought cattle onto his land. When Jackson challenged Bawuro about the cattle destroying his crops, the herdsman attacked him with a knife.
Although wounded, Jackson managed to retrieve the knife from his attacker and defended himself. Bawuro later died from stab wounds sustained in the confrontation.
Jackson argued he acted in self-defense, but the Yola High Court found him guilty of culpable homicide in 2021. The presiding judge, Fatima Ahmed Tafida, held that Jackson could have fled the scene after disarming Bawuro, and sentenced him to death under Section 211 of Nigeria’s Penal Code.
In March 2025, Nigeria’s Supreme Court upheld the death sentence, and Jackson was remanded to Kuje Medium Security Custodial Centre in Abuja.
U.S. Intervention
Jackson’s case gained international attention after the United States designated Nigeria a “Country of Particular Concern” in November 2025 over alleged persecution of Christians, with President Donald Trump threatening military intervention against terrorists targeting Christian communities.
Congressman Moore made Jackson’s release a priority, raising the case during Congressional hearings, media interviews, and private meetings with Nigerian officials both in Washington D.C. and during a Congressional Delegation visit to Nigeria.
Speaking on Fox News in November, Moore said: “But there’s a lot of things they can do, and one of the first steps is releasing Sunday Jackson, and another one is working with us to disarm these militants in the middle-belt of the country—the Fulani Islamic radicals that are there.”
Pardon Announced
Governor Fintiri’s pardon was announced Tuesday by Humwashi Wonosikou, the governor’s chief press secretary.
“Adamawa State Governor, Rt. Hon Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri CON, has granted pardon to Sunday Jackson who was sentenced to death,” the statement reads. “The pardon is in commemoration of Christmas and New Year celebrations.”
Funke Adeoye, founder of Hope Behind Bars, confirmed Jackson’s release to media outlets on Tuesday.
Jackson was pardoned alongside Joseph Eugene from the Medium Security Custodial Centre Yola and Maxwell Ibrahim serving at the Medium Security Custodial Center in Kaduna.
Diplomatic Significance
In his statement, Moore characterized Jackson’s release as evidence of improving U.S.-Nigeria cooperation on Christian persecution issues.
“Sunday Jackson’s release is a positive development in the relationship between the Nigerian government and the United States which demonstrates a willingness by President Bola Tinubu and his government to work in coordination and cooperation with the United States to address the persecution of Christians,” Moore said.
The congressman added: “There is much more to do, but I continue to see positive steps that my concerns and the concerns of President Trump are being taken seriously by the Nigerian government. I want to thank President Tinubu for his administration’s willingness to engage in continued constructive discussions with the U.S. Government on establishing a strategic security framework between our two countries to tackle the multifaceted security challenges facing Nigeria.”
Moore also emphasized the need for continued protection: “The Nigerian government at the Federal and State level must ensure Sunday’s safety during and following his release.”
Religious Context
Jackson’s case has become emblematic of broader tensions between Christian farmers and predominantly Muslim Fulani herders in Nigeria’s Middle Belt region, where conflicts over land and resources have killed thousands in recent years.
Moore framed the incident in religious terms: “Sunday is a Christian farmer who, like countless of other Christians in Nigeria, was brutally attacked by an Islamic radical. Sunday fought back in self-defense, killing his attacker.”
The congressman concluded: “Our Lord came to set the captives free, and now Sunday will be able to celebrate Christmas with his family. Thanks be to God!”
Jackson’s release comes just days before Christmas, allowing him to reunite with his family after more than a decade of imprisonment for what he maintained was self-defense against an armed attacker on his own property.