Fintiri Grants Christmas Clemency, Frees Sunday Jackson and Seven Other Inmates

By News Rendezvous TV

Two days to Christmas 2025, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, Governor of Adamawa State, exercised his constitutional power of prerogative of mercy, granting pardons and sentence remissions to eight inmates in a gesture described as an act of compassion and restorative justice.

The most prominent beneficiary of the governor’s decision is Sunday Jackson, who had been sentenced to death following an incident in which he was found guilty of killing a herdsman during what was described as a self-defence encounter. Jackson, who had been held at the Kuje Medium Security Custodial Centre, has now been granted a full pardon and released as a free man.

Also granted full pardons are Joseph Eugene, who was incarcerated at the Yola Medium Security Custodial Centre, and Maxwell Ibrahim, bringing their sentences to a complete end.

In addition, the governor approved the remission of the remaining portions of sentences for five other inmates—Joshua James Audo, Adamu Ibrahim, Mohammed Abubakar, Ibrahim Usman, and Saidu Abubakar—who were serving jail terms in correctional facilities in Numan and Jada. With the decision, all five have also regained their freedom.

Governor Fintiri explained that the clemency followed careful consideration and recommendations by the Adamawa State Advisory Council on the Prerogative of Mercy. He noted that the beneficiaries had demonstrated sustained remorse, good conduct, and genuine personal reform over the years of their incarceration.

According to the governor, the timing of the decision was deliberate, aligning with the spirit of Christmas and the approaching New Year—a season symbolising forgiveness, hope, and new beginnings.

The governor’s directive formed part of broader official orders conveyed to senior government figures, including Nuhu Ribadu, during high-level engagements, underscoring the administration’s commitment to justice tempered with mercy.

The development has sparked public interest and renewed debate on criminal justice reform, self-defence laws, and the role of executive clemency in promoting rehabilitation and social reintegration in Nigeria.