Bakare begs Fintiri to pardon man sentenced to death for killing attacker in self-defence

The Secretary General of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, PFN, Bishop David Bakare, has appealed to Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa State, to temper justice with mercy by pardoning Sunday Jackson, sentenced to death for killing a Fulani herdsman in self defence.

Speaking in an interview with newsmen in Kaduna on Tuesday, he pleaded with the governor to have mercy on Jackson in the spirit of love, saying that all of them are pleading for mercy from God.

According to the clergy man, “There are many reasons why we feel the judgement should be better but the Supreme Court has acted supremely but the governor should act by the mercy that is supreme over judgment.”

Bakare also appealed to the Governor to grant Jackson pardon in the spirit of love and for the fact that all humanity is pleading for mercy from God.

He said, “Among us, we should grant mercy in the spirit of the season of sacrifice of fasting and prayers by both Christians and Muslims in Nigeria.This is our desire and our plea.”

On March 7, 2025, the Supreme Court upheld the ruling of a high court which sentenced Jackson to death for killing his attacker in self-defence.

Jackson was reportedly cultivating his farm when the herder, armed with a knife, attacked him and stabbed him.

He was said to have overpowered his aggressor in self-defence, resulting in the herder’s death.

In a ruling in 2021, an Adamawa high court sentenced Jackson to death for the killing. The court held that Jackson had the opportunity to escape rather than stab his attacker.

Jackson's counsel, Emmanuel Ogebe, an international human rights lawyer, had in an interview on Arise TV, criticised the judgment of the apex court, saying the world should be alarmed by “this very unfortunate precedence”;.

Ogebe recounted how he took on the case to defend the accused after recognising it as a clear case of self-defence.

“This is really a sad day for Nigerians and their rights to self-defence,”; he said.