The Nigerian Prison Authority is waiting for a judicial decision to free Sunday Jackson, a farmer from Adamawa sentenced to death, who received a gubernatorial amnesty from Governor Ahmadu Fintiri on Tuesday.
Jackson was found guilty of murdering a Fulani shepherd who was tending cows on his property. The lower court imposed the death penalty, which was subsequently confirmed by the Supreme Court.
His situation has attracted widespread domestic and global interest, with some U.S. Congress representatives urging for his freedom.
The governor, Fintiri, declared Jackson's amnesty on Tuesday.
On Thursday, Afraimu Jingi, the Attorney General of Adamawa State and Commissioner for Justice, informed our reporter that all necessary administrative processes for Jackson's release were finalized on Tuesday.
"Jackson is expected to leave prison today (Thursday) as all necessary paperwork was submitted electronically, and physical copies were also delivered personally to the correctional center officials responsible for his release," the attorney general stated.
"The Adamawa State Government has fulfilled all obligations mandated by law regarding his release," he further stated.
Nevertheless, inspections conducted by The PUNCH on Thursday revealed that Jackson was still in detention.
A senior officer from the National Correctional Service (NCoS) at the Kuje Detention Center, speaking under an alias due to unauthorized disclosure, stated that Jackson was still being held.
"He remains detained. His release is possible only once we receive the formal authorization, which originates solely from the court," the official stated.
The situation involving Jackson originated when he suffered significant harm while trying to drive off shepherds from his property, and in a confrontation, he subdued one of them, resulting in the shepherd's demise.
This year earlier, the Supreme Court confirmed his conviction and death penalty, leading to extensive public discussion.
In November 2025, U.S. Representative Riley Moore urged the Nigerian authorities to grant clemency to Jackson, referring to the incident as an act of self-defense.
"Moore stated that Jackson was trying to safeguard his own life during the encounter and raised doubts about the justice of applying the death sentence in these situations," reported the statement.
After the proclamation of the pardon on Tuesday, business operations in certain areas of Yola faced temporary interruptions as locals closed their stores and enterprises to commemorate what numerous people referred to as an overdue gesture of fairness.
In a press release, Humwashi Wonosikou, the Chief Press Secretary of Governor Fintiri, stated that Jackson, who was scheduled for execution at the Kuje Medium Security Custodial Centre in Abuja, received a pardon together with Joseph Eugene from the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Yola, and Maxwell Ibrahim, who was incarcerated at the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Kaduna.
"Jackson, currently located at the Kuje Medium Security Custodial Centre, has received a pardon together with Joseph Eugene from the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Yola, and Maxwell Ibrahim, who is incarcerated at the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Kaduna," Wonosikou stated.
He mentioned that the governor also granted amnesty for the remaining prison sentences of five additional prisoners — Joshua James Audo, Adamu Ibrahim, Mohammed Abubakar, Ibrahim Usman, and Saidu Abubakar — who were serving time at the Medium Security Detention Centers in Numan and Jada.
"Exercising my power of clemency as provided for in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and following the suggestions from the Adamawa State Advisory Council on Pardon, I have pardoned three individuals and ordered the reduction of the remaining sentences of five more," Fintiri stated.
Supplied by SyndiGate Media Inc. Syndigate.info ).
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