U.S. Congressman Riley Moore has called on Nigerian authorities to release Sunday Jackson, a Nigerian citizen sentenced to death by hanging after being convicted of culpable homicide for killing an armed herdsman who allegedly attacked him on his farmland.
Speaking in an interview with Fox News, Mr. Moore revealed that discussions between U.S. officials and a Nigerian delegation led by National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu showed promising signs of cooperation.
Mr. Moore stated that “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 added that “there’s a lot of things 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 of the country, the Fulani Islamic radicals that are there.”
Jackson’s case
Jackson was arrested by police and charged with culpable homicide before the Yola High Court in Adamawa State, an offence that carries the death penalty under Section 211 of the Northern Nigerian penal code.
During the trial, Jackson admitted that the assailant died during their struggle but maintained he committed no crime. Prosecutors urged Justice Fatima Ahmed Tafida to convict him based on this confession, while his defence argued he acted in self-defense.
In February 2021, the court ruled that Jackson’s admission was grounds for a death sentence by hanging. The judge rejected his self-defense argument, stating that he should have fled once he had subdued the attacker.
Criticism from legal experts
The ruling has faced backlash from lawyers and human rights advocates, who argue that the decision sets a dangerous precedent.
Jackson remains on death row, with a state pardon from the Adamawa governor granted through the attorney general being his only route to freedom.
In the same Fox News interview, Mr. Moore also condemned the recent abductions of students and teachers in northern Nigeria and urged the government to disarm “the radical Muslim Fulani militants terrorising the Middle Belt.”