Nigerian Catholic Bishops Urge Tinubu to Pardon Farmer Sentenced to death for killing herder in Self Defense

Nigerian Catholic Bishops Urge Tinubu to Pardon Farmer Sentenced to death for killing herder in Self Defense

The Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to grant clemency to Mr. Sunday Jackson, a farmer sentenced to death for killing a herder in Self Defense in Adamawa State.

On March 7, 2025, the Supreme Court upheld Jackson’s death sentence for the killing of Ardo Bawuro, a Fulani herdsman, following a dispute over farmland. The conviction, originally handed down in 2012, was based on Jackson’s claim of self-defense.

In a communiqué released at the end of their first plenary meeting in Abuja, the bishops reiterated their opposition to capital punishment and pleaded for presidential intervention.

“We reaffirm the Catholic Church’s stance that capital punishment is unacceptable,” the statement, signed by CBCN President Archbishop Lucius Ugorji and Secretary Bishop Donatus Ogun, read. “In the spirit of the Jubilee Year of Hope, we passionately appeal to President Tinubu to grant Mr. Sunday Jackson a pardon.”

Beyond Jackson’s case, the bishops also criticized the recent closure of schools in Kebbi, Katsina, Bauchi, and Kano states due to the Ramadan fast. They argued that education should not be suspended based on religious observances, emphasizing Nigeria’s multi-religious society and children’s right to uninterrupted learning.

Furthermore, the CBCN reaffirmed its commitment to education, healthcare, and agriculture as essential pillars for national development. The bishops urged political, religious, and traditional leaders to promote unity and create an environment that fosters hope and progress for all Nigerians.