Sunday Jackson was reportedly attacked by a knife-wielding Fulani herdman on his farm in Adamawa State in 2014 and was left with the option to defend himself, where he outpowered his attacker and killed him.
He sustained injuries on his legs from the stab the attacker gave him; however, he was arrested and charged to court for murder.
Jackson had spent seven years in prison before the court, in February 2021, sentenced him to death.
On February 10, 2020, Mr. Jackson testified for himself in court, stating that he killed the herdman out of self-defense, showing evidence of attack from his injuries.
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The judge, however, ignored his testimony, emphasizing that Jackson had the option to run but chose murder instead.
After the court’s judgment, Jackson had remained in prison till this date, when the court still stood on its previous sentence that Jackson would die by hanging.
There have been criticisms by concerned Nigerians and legal practitioners concerning the sentence of Sunday Jackson.
Some legal practitioners have pointed out what seems to prove the dictum: “Justice delayed is justice denied,” explaining that the court took 167 days to deliver Jackson’s judgment instead of the maximum 90 days entrenched in the 1999 constitution, spending an additional 77 days to arrive at a judgment.
Critics also point out that the court had allowed Jackson to stay in prison for 10 years before arriving at a judgment, and the judges were also ignoring facts from the incident but plying the route of emotions.
They argue that self-defense is recognized in the constitution and is not a crime, so how could the judges cross that out, saying the better option for Jackson would have been to run while he was being attacked on his property?
