The Supreme Court has upheld the death sentence of Sunday Jackson, a farmer convicted of killing his attacker in what he claimed was self-defense. The case has sparked widespread debate, with human rights advocates arguing that Jackson was unfairly treated by the legal system.
Jackson was reportedly working on his farm in Adamawa State when a suspected herder, armed with a knife, attempted to attack him. In an effort to defend himself, Jackson managed to overpower the assailant, which resulted in the herder’s death.
In 2021, an Adamawa High Court found Jackson guilty of murder and sentenced him to death. The court ruled that he had the opportunity to escape but instead chose to use force against his attacker. Following this decision, Jackson pursued an appeal, but on March 7, 2025, the Supreme Court upheld the original ruling, effectively exhausting his legal options.
In response to the ruling, international human rights lawyer Emmanuel Ogebe strongly criticized the judgment, calling it a “very unfortunate precedent.” Speaking in an interview on Arise TV, Ogebe explained that he took interest in the case because he saw it as a clear example of self-defense.
“This is really a sad day for Nigerians and their rights to self-defense,” he said.
Ogebe revealed that he had reviewed the initial judgment and discovered a major legal flaw—there was a 167-day delay between the conclusion of arguments and the delivery of the verdict, despite the Nigerian Constitution mandating a maximum of 90 days.
He also pointed out that Jackson, who lacked financial resources, was represented by the Legal Aid Council, which had not identified this issue in their defense.
“I was initially working with the Legal Aid Council to prepare an appeal. I traveled back to the US. When I came back (to Nigeria), his counsel had changed,” Ogebe stated.
He further argued that Jackson was wrongly charged with murder, insisting that if any charge was necessary, it should have been manslaughter rather than a capital offense.
Also commenting on the case, William Devlin, a US-based human rights advocate, expressed his disappointment in the Nigerian judicial system.
“This is a sad day for human rights in Nigeria. Sunday Jackson, by anyone’s estimation, is totally innocent,” Devlin said.
He noted that the Supreme Court ruling, which sealed Jackson’s fate, was delivered in less than three minutes.
“We just wept at the failure of the Nigerian Supreme Court (to free the man). They had the opportunity to say that this man was totally innocent,” he said.
Devlin also disclosed that Jackson’s legal troubles had led to personal losses, including the abandonment of his wife. He revealed that Jackson had already spent a decade on death row and that his case had drawn international attention.
