BREAKING: U.S. Demands Immediate Release of Sunday Jackson Sentenced to Death as Part of Conditions to Begin Military Partnership

• U.S. federal lawmaker Riley Moore has urged the Nigerian government to free Sunday Jackson, a farmer sentenced to death for killing an armed herdsman who attacked him on his farm.

• Moore says the case highlights ongoing violence in Nigeria’s Middle Belt and insists that Jackson acted in self-defence.

A United States federal lawmaker, Riley Moore, has called on the Nigerian government to release a Nigerian citizen, Sunday Jackson, who was sentenced to death by hanging after killing an armed herdsman who attacked him on his farmland.

Speaking during an interview on Fox News, Moore revealed that recent discussions between the U.S. government and a Nigerian delegation led by the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, were “productive,” adding that the issue of insecurity in Nigeria’s Middle Belt featured prominently.

“The meeting with the Nigerian delegation was productive, and it sounded like they’re open to partnering with the United States to stop these killings. I think we did make some progress,” he said.

Moore stressed that one of the first steps Nigeria should take is to free Jackson and work with the U.S. to curb the activities of armed groups in the region.
“There’s a lot they can do, and one of the first steps is releasing Sunday Jackson, and another one is working with us to disarm these militants in the Middle Belt—the Fulani Islamic radicals that are there,” he added.

Jackson’s case dates back to 2015 when he was a 29-year-old farmer and student from the Dong community in Demsa LGA of Adamawa State. While working on his farm in Kodomti, Numan LGA, a herdsman, Buba Ardo Bawuro, reportedly drove his cattle onto the farmland to graze on his crops. A confrontation ensued, during which the herdsman allegedly pulled out a knife and stabbed Jackson twice.

Despite his injuries, Jackson managed to disarm his attacker and stab him in return. The herdsman later died from his wounds.

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Jackson was arrested and charged with culpable homicide, an offence that carries the death penalty under Section 211 of the northern Nigerian penal code. During his trial before the Yola High Court, he admitted that the herdsman died from the stabbing but maintained that he acted purely in self-defence.

However, in February 2021, the trial judge, Fatima Ahmed Tafida, ruled that Jackson’s confession was sufficient grounds for conviction and sentenced him to death by hanging, saying he could have fled instead of retaliating. The ruling survived all appeals, including at the Supreme Court, leaving Jackson’s only hope as a state pardon from the Adamawa State governor.

The sentence has sparked criticism from legal practitioners and human rights advocates who argue that punishing a man for defending himself sets a dangerous precedent.

In the interview, Moore also condemned the recent abduction of schoolgirls and teachers in northern Nigeria, calling on authorities to urgently tackle armed groups terrorising rural communities.

He urged the government to prioritize disarming “the radical Muslim Fulani militants terrorising the Middle Belt,” insisting that insecurity in the region is worsening and requires immediate intervention.