US Lawmaker Calls for Pardon of Nigerian Farmer Sentenced to Death
At a recent hearing of the United States House of Representatives on Nigeria’s redesignation as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC), Congressman Riley Moore urged the Nigerian government to grant clemency to Sunday Jackson, a farmer sentenced to death for killing an assailant while defending himself.
Moore described the conviction as unjust, stressing that Jackson acted in self-defence against an armed Fulani militant. He argued that the circumstances of the case warranted a reconsideration of the sentence.
In his words: “I would urge the Nigerian government to take a look at pardoning Sunday Jackson, who was fighting for his own life against one of these Fulani militants. That militant lost his life in the struggle, and now Jackson faces the death penalty. Where is the justice in that?”
Moore’s appeal raises critical questions about the application of criminal law in cases involving self-defence, proportionality of punishment, and the broader implications for Nigeria’s justice system under international scrutiny.
