“Deadly Dockets: When Nigeria’s Justice System Becomes the Executioner”

By Mike Odeh James

A Life “Hanging” in the Balance

Sunday Jackson, a now 30-year-old Christian farmer from Adamawa State, sits on death row, convicted of murder for what most believe was a clear-cut act of self-defense. His ordeal, stretching over a decade, has exposed troubling cracks in Nigeria’s legal system.

All legal appeals have been exhausted. Jackson’s final hope lies with Adamawa State Governor Ahmadu Fintiri, who has the constitutional authority to grant clemency. But for Emmanuel Ogebe, a renowned U.S.-based human rights lawyer, this case is not simply about mercy—it is about reversing a deep injustice.

“This isn’t just a miscarriage of justice—it’s judicial homicide,” Ogebe said.

The Fatal Encounter

The events that led to Jackson’s conviction unfolded in 2015 on his farm in Kodomti, northeast Nigeria trespassed by Ardo Bawuro, an angry Fulani herder and his cattle. A violent confrontation followed.

Bawuro stabbed Jackson in the leg and head with a dagger. Jackson, unarmed, managed to seize the weapon during the struggle and fatally stabbed Bawuro in the neck. Jackson was later arrested and charged with murder under Section 221 of the Penal Code.

Despite asserting self-defense, Jackson was convicted and sentenced to death after six years in prison. The court ruled that he had used “excessive force” and should have retreated once he disarmed his attacker – notwithstanding that he had been injured in the leg.

Ogebe, who joined the case immediately after the 2021 conviction, strongly disagrees with the court’s reasoning.

“It’s absurd. In a life-or-death struggle, the law should protect survival, not punish it,” he said, “but certainly not to finish the initial attempted murder!”

Constitutional Breach and Judicial Delay

One of the most glaring legal failures in Jackson’s trial was the delay in judgment. Under Section 294(1) of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution, judges must deliver rulings within 90 days after final arguments. In Jackson’s case:

Final arguments concluded on August 27, 2020.

Judgment was delivered on February 10, 2021—167 days later.

This delay violates the Constitution and, according to Ogebe, undermines the ruling itself.

“Judicial memory fades. Critical facts were misstated. That alone should have voided the judgment,” he argued.

Justice Fatima Tafida, who presided over the trial, stated in her ruling that Jackson stabbed Bawuro “three times in the throat,” though the autopsy only referenced “multiple stab wounds in the neck region.”

The Supreme Court upheld the ruling without addressing this procedural breach.

Judges get disciplined for delays like this. So why should a man be executed on such a ruling?” Ogebe asked.

Patterns of Injustice

Jackson’s ordeal is not an isolated case—it reflects deeper problems within Nigeria’s legal system, including ethno-religious bias and unequal access to justice.

Fulani herdsmen militia, frequently perpetrators of pervasive rural killings ranked the 4th deadliest terrorists globally in 2014 are rarely prosecuted.

Christians like Jackson, even when attacked, are more likely to face harsh punishment.

“This is selective justice. The real criminals are free, while survivors like Jackson are being hanged,” Ogebe said.

Furthermore, Jackson’s early criminal defense was questionable. Assigned Legal Aid counsel because Jackson was too poor to afford a lawyer, deficits in representation are still traceable to the Nigerian government. His public defender originally objected to Jackson’s confessional statement being made and translated by the same police officer who then charged him with murder without his lawyer present.

Presiding Justice Helen Ogunwumiju, in her minority dissent at the Supreme Court, upheld the self-defense argument. But the majority overruled her and affirmed the death sentence.

“That dissenting voice shows the law has room for reasonableness and just outcomes —but it was drowned out,” Ogebe lamented.

A Last Hope—and a Call for Reform

With the legal battle lost, the campaign for executive clemency under Section 212 of the Constitution is Jackson’s only remaining lifeline. Ogebe and other advocates, including International humanitarian Dr William Devlin are calling on Governor Fintiri to act swiftly.

But Emmanuel Ogebe insists this case must spark broader reform.

He calls for:

Enforcement of the 90-day judgment rule with automatic compliance checks.

Stronger legal protections for survivors of violent attacks.

Judicial accountability for delays and misstatements in critical rulings.

“Sunday Jackson is more than a man on death row. He is the human face of a badly broken system,” Ogebe said.
“If we let this stand, we’re not just killing a man—we’re burying justice.”

Footnote: Emmanuel Ogebe is a renowned U.S.-based international human rights lawyer and advocate for Sunday Jackson