Numan Ministers' Forum Pleads with Fintiri to Grant Clemency to Sunday Jackson

 

A body of clergy men and women known as Numan Ministers' Forum, Adamawa state headed by Archbishop Japhet Tonmwoso has described the Supreme Court ruling that sentenced Mr Sunday Jackson to death by hanging as a miscarriage of justice, having defended himself from the attack of a herdman who died on the process

The forum narrated that Mr Sunday Jackson was diligently tending to his farm, his primary source of livelihood when a Fulani herder drove his cattle onto the farmland, causing great damage to the crop he had laboured to cultivate.

In the ensuing confrontation, Mr Jackson acted out of fear for his life and property was compelled to defend himself after the herder stabbed him twice on his back and leg.

He empowered the herder, retrieved his knife and used same in self defense which tragically resulted in the loss of the life of the herder

While emphasizing that the Nigeria's constitution (1999 as amended) and the Criminal Code of Nigeria recognize the right of individuals to defend themselves against unlawful attacks, the forum of Pastors and Bishops posited that Sunday Jackson's actions were neither premeditated, nor motivated by malice but purely protecting his life in an increasingly volatile security situation where farmers have suffered repeated attacks and destruction of crops

Expressing their position through the leader of the forum Archbishop Tonmwoso, the clergy men faulted the court judgement that Mr Sunday Jackson should have run away from the scene after retrieving the knife from the herder, rather than retaliating. 

This claim according to the forum assumes that Mr Sunday Jackson, who has already been stabbed in the back and on his leg was in any condition to escape the scene

The forum therefore called on Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri of Adamawa state to graciously invoke his constitutional power of clemency under section 212 of the 1999 constitution (as amended) to grant full pardon or conditional, commute the sentence to a lesser punishment or exercise his prerogative of Mercy to commute the sentence in the interest of justice, equity, magnanimity and humanity.

To this end, the forum explained that the case is a matter of concern to it as the unfortunate incident took place in its locality.