- As Royal Father brokers meeting with US Humanitarian Advocates & families
Barely two weeks after the Supreme Court affirmed his hanging death sentence, the campaign for clemency for Adamawa farmer Sunday Jackson got a major boost as the family of his deceased attacker, Buba Bawuro, endorsed a state pardon for him.
In a letter signed in the presence of two humanitarian advocates who have worked on Jackson’s case for four years since his capital offense conviction in February 2021 – international human rights lawyer Emmanuel Ogebe and Dr William Devlin from U.S. – Buba’s father, Ardo Bawuro appealed to Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri of Adamawa State for an outright pardon, stating that his son would not be coming back to life.
The family mediation was facilitated by the HRM Hama Bachama and hosted in his Royal palace, Numan, Adamawa State.
Ardo Bawuro’s letter to Governor Fintiri states:
“His Excellency, Alh. Umaru Fintiri
The Executive Governor, Adamawa State.
Your Excellency,
DEATH SENTENCE ON SUNDAY JACKSON BY THE SUPREME COURT OF NIGERIA FOR MURDER OF MY SON BUBA BAWURO
On behalf of myself and my entire family members, I wish to acknowledge the good governance and the peace being enjoyed generally in the State because of the way the affairs of the State are being conducted by Your Excellency.
The security situation has improved tremendously. We have been sleeping with all our eyes closed. My family appreciate this and we continue to pray for Your Excellency to live long.
The main reason for writing this letter is to appreciate the concern of the general public and the reactions of Nigerians and the whole world on the death sentence judgement in respect of my late son Buba Bawuro passed on Sunday Jackson.
In this regard, Your Excellency should count us out of the judgement passed on the victim (Sunday Jackson).
My son can never wake up again. Based on this fact, I am pleading for clemency on Sunday Jackson to be pardoned and set free.
I wish His Excellency will consider my plea and my appeal granted.
SGN
Ardo Bawuro
Father of the Deceased.”
Responding to the development, Ogebe, the Co-convener of the Justice for Jackson Joint Freedom Task Force (JJJFT) said: “It was an eye opening interaction for us and gives great hope for peace in the land of Nigeria.
“We will share details of the Royal Meeting once the palace provides them. His Royal Majesty welcomed us and introduced us to his Council of Chiefs and the family members. We then rose for closer interaction with the families.
We’re very excited at this outcome!”
A coalition of Global Citizens had earlier launched a petition to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Fintiri to grant clemency to Sunday Jackson.
The then 20-year-old student, Sunday Jackson, was farming to support his wife and daughter when he was violently attacked by a Fulani herdsman with a knife. Despite injuries he sustained, Jackson struggled with his attacker wresting the weapon from him and struck back following which his attacker died.
However, Jackson was sentenced to death in 2021 after being in prison for seven years. Regrettably on Friday March 7, 2025, the Supreme Court upheld his death sentence.
The statement of facts of the Appellant’s brief of argument was that “the defendant testified for himself on the 27th day of February, 2020 and the matter was adjourned to the 27th day of August 2020 for the adoption of final Written addresses of counsel to the prosecution and the defence. Judgment was delivered on the 10th day of February, 2021.”
