Taiwo Popoola
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Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa State has granted a pardon to a death row inmate, Sunday Jackson.Jackson was sentenced to death for killing a herdsman.An Adamawa farmer, Jackson, is widely perceived to have been unjustly sentenced for allegedly killing a herdsman in self-defence.There have been widespread calls for intervention in his case.Jackson, who is in Kuje Medium Security Custodial Centre, was pardoned alongside Joseph Eugene from the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Yola, and Maxwell Ibrahim, serving at the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Kaduna.The pardon is in commemoration of Christmas and New Year celebrations, according to a statement released on Tuesday in Yola by Governor Fintiri’s Chief Press Secretary, Humwashi Wonosikou.“Others who had the remainder of their sentences remitted whole include Joshua James Audo, Adamu Ibrahim, Mohammed Abubakar, Ibrahim Usman and Saidu Abubakar serving at the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Numan and Medium Security Custodial Centre, Jada,” Humwashi stated.He explained that Governor Fintiri extended his gesture to the inmates because the inmates had demonstrated significant improvement in their behaviour and conduct.He quoted Fintiri as saying, “In the exercise of my prerogative of mercy as enshrined in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and in line with the recommendations of the Adamawa State Advisory Council on Prerogative of Mercy, I have granted pardon to three persons and directed the remission of the remainder of the sentences of five others who have served various jail terms and have significantly demonstrated good conduct over the years.”
