U.S. Pressures Nigeria to Free Sunday Jackson as Part of Conditions for Advancing Security Partnership

Washington has pressed Abuja to free Nigerian farmer Sunday Jackson as part of conditions for advancing a proposed military partnership, according to comments made by U.S. federal lawmaker Riley Moore during an interview with Fox News. Moore said recent talks between American officials and a Nigerian delegation led by National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu signalled a willingness to collaborate on addressing persistent violence in Nigeria.

Moore described the discussions as constructive, noting that progress was made on security cooperation. He insisted, however, that the release of Jackson should be an early step in rebuilding trust, alongside joint efforts to curb armed groups operating in Nigeria’s Middle Belt.

Jackson, a 29-year-old farmer and student from the Dong community in Adamawa State, has been on death row after being convicted of culpable homicide for killing a herdsman who attacked him on his farm in 2015. The confrontation began when the herdsman, Buba Ardo Bawuro, reportedly led cattle onto Jackson’s farmland in Kodomti, prompting an argument that turned violent. Jackson was stabbed twice but managed to overpower the herdsman and stab him in return. Bawuro later died from his injuries.

Police charged Jackson under Section 211 of the northern penal code, which carries a mandatory death sentence. Despite maintaining that he acted in self-defence, Jackson was convicted in 2021 by Justice Fatima Ahmed Tafida, who ruled that he should have fled after disarming his attacker. The conviction was upheld on appeal, including at the Supreme Court.

Legal experts and rights advocates have sharply criticised the ruling, warning that it sets a troubling precedent for similar cases. Jackson’s only remaining path to freedom is a state pardon from the governor of Adamawa.

Moore also used the interview to condemn the recent abduction of schoolgirls and teachers in northern Nigeria, urging the Nigerian government to intensify efforts to disarm armed groups destabilising the region.