A United States Congressman has welcomed the pardon of Sunday Jackson, an Adamawa farmer who spent over a decade on death row after killing a herdsman in what was widely described as self-defence.

Jackson was granted clemency on Tuesday by Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri of Adamawa State as part of the annual Christmas and New Year mercy exercise, bringing an end to a case that had drawn both local and international attention.

Reacting on Wednesday, Congressman Riley M. Moore described Jackson’s release as a triumph over injustice.
“Sunday Jackson is free! After more than ten years in prison serving a death sentence for defending himself, he has finally been pardoned,” Moore said.

The lawmaker added that he had been advocating for Jackson’s release through public statements, congressional hearings, media engagements, and private discussions with senior Nigerian officials both in Nigeria and the United States.

Moore hailed the pardon as a positive development for Nigeria–U.S. relations, noting that it reflected the Nigerian government’s readiness to address concerns over security and human rights.

“There is more work ahead, but I continue to see encouraging signs that our concerns, and those of President Trump, are being taken seriously,” he said.

He also called on Nigerian authorities to ensure Jackson’s safety following his release.

“The federal and state governments must ensure that Sunday is fully protected during and after his release,” Moore emphasized.

Jackson, an Adamawa farmer, had been convicted for killing a herdsman in a case that rights groups and civil society organisations have long argued involved self-defence. Calls for his clemency came from both local and international quarters, including religious organisations and human rights activists.

Governor Fintiri, through his Chief Press Secretary, Humwashi Wonosikou, said the pardon was part of the Christmas and New Year clemency exercise, which also saw the release of two other inmates and remission of sentences for five others.

The governor noted that the beneficiaries had shown “significant improvement in their behaviour and conduct” while in custody.