Supreme Court sentence Nigerian Farmer to Death for Overpowering and Killing a Fulani Herdsman who Invade his Farm in Adamawa

In a highly controversial legal ruling, Nigerian farmer Sunday Jackson has been sentenced to death by hanging for killing a Fulani herdsman in what he claims was an act of self-defense.

The incident occurred on February 11, 2021, in Adamawa State, when Jackson was reportedly attacked by the herdsman wielding a machete. During the struggle, Jackson sustained serious injuries but managed to disarm and fatally stab his attacker. Despite his defense arguing that he acted out of necessity to save his own life, the Supreme Court of Nigeria upheld a lower court's decision on March 7, 2025, ruling that Jackson should have fled after disarming the herdsman instead of retaliating.

The verdict has ignited widespread outrage and renewed debates about Nigeria’s self-defense laws. Many legal experts and human rights activists argue that the ruling ignores the harsh realities faced by rural farmers who often have no access to law enforcement or protection from armed assailants.

Jackson, who has spent four years in detention since his arrest, now faces execution unless he is granted presidential clemency or legal intervention from human rights organizations.

His case highlights critical flaws in Nigeria’s justice system and raises an urgent question: Should a man be sentenced to death for defending his own life?