NewStats: 3,263,655 , 8,180,919 topics. Date: Saturday, 07 June 2025 at 05:57 AM 3p343n

Ozekhome slams Supreme Court for affirming death sentence on Adamawa Christian farmer who defended himself against killer herdsman

Constitutional lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mike Ozekhome, has slammed the Supreme Court over its recent ruling that affirmed the death sentence of Adamawa Christian farmer Sunday Jackson for defending himself against a killer herdsman.

In a ruling on March 7, 2025, the apex court upheld a lower court decision sentencing Mr Jackson to death by hanging for killing a Fulani herdsman, Ardo Bawuro, in an altercation on his farmland over 10 years ago, sparking widespread outrage over what the defence and critics said was a self-defence act.

Mr Ozekhome, who is currently representing the embattled leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, in his high-profile terrorism case against the Nigerian government, has now become the latest public figure to criticise the Supreme Court’s verdict condemning Mr Jackson to the death penalty.

In his analysis of the apex court’s verdict, Mr Ozekhome said the conclusion of the Supreme Court raised serious concerns about fairness and the fundamental right of every Nigerian to defend themselves.

He stated that justices were unrealistic to determine Mr Jackson should have fled after subduing his attacker.

“The facts surrounding the case raised significant questions about fairness, judicial reasoning and the fundamental right to self-defence,” Mr Ozekhome said.“The court reasoned that having seized the dagger, Jackson no longer faced an imminent threat and should have fled instead of retaliating with deadly force.”

He added, “This position has been widely criticised as unrealistic and disconnected from the realities of violent encounters.”

Mr Ozekhome also noted that Mr Jackson has maintained consistent claims of the incident, arguing that the defendant was right to instinctively react in the heat of the moment to defend himself against his attacker, which subsequently resulted in his death.

He insisted that the stabbing that resulted in the death of Mr Bawuro occurred during a physical struggle, and the justices’ notion that Mr Jackson had the opportunity to flee to safety while in a confrontation against an armed attacker was impossible.

“Jackson’s claim was consistent and straightforward; he acted instinctively to preserve his life in the face of sudden, life-threatening danger. The stabbing occurred during a physical struggle,” Mr Ozekhome argued.

“The notion that he had a clear and safe opportunity to flee while entangled in a fight with an armed opponent is, at best, speculative and, at worst, a dangerous oversimplification of a clear and perfect danger to his life. The apex court appeared to construct a simplistic mental narrative that did not align with the raw, chaotic nature of real-life violence.”

The senior lawyer added that the apex court erred in its handling of the case, stating that it violated the constitution by delivering judgment 167 days after the close of the argument, when it had a maximum of 90 days.

https://gazettengr.com/ozekhome-slams-supreme-court-for-affirming-death-sentence-on-adamawa-christian-farmer-who-defended-himself-against-killer-herdsman/

This is unbelievable

Very very unbelievable

..what is the name of that corrupt, cowardly chief injustice of Nigeria again..?...what is the Nigerian Judicial Council headed by the Chief injustice of Nigeria doing, say, feel about such illegal & miscarriage of justice..

..the woman was making a lot of useless noise the other day..that she will not tolerate rascality, corruption & miscarriage of justice..

..she is silent now..no noise, no statement from the coward..

Nigerians are already loosing confidence in the judiciary. Since when has self defense become a crime in our society? All the people who were involved in the court proceedings especially the presiding officers should loose their licenses.

Even in America, he will be sentenced to death. It's left for the state government to rightfully pardon him

Dreal1247:
Nigerians are already loosing confidence in the judiciary. Since when has self defense become a crime in our society? All the people who were involved in the court proceedings especially the presiding officers should loose their licenses.

Please when did Nigerians appoint you as our spokesman?

I'm not surprised at all.

Ikaeniyan0:
Even in America, he will be sentenced to death. It's left for the state government to rightfully pardon him

This is a lie

And herdsmen can go on killing spree without stepping the police cell.. Nigeria is designed to work & serve the Fulanis . ''Nigeria will only work for all the day and Igbo man get power bcs they are the only tribes with neutral & disciplined minds and that's why top company executives both home & abroad appoint them to the managerial or CEO. Enough of bigotry from Fulani president and a*s licking by Yoruba candidates (OBJ & Tinubu are Fulani a*SS lickers if not Tinubu would have stepped in decively and stop this nonsense)" This has nothing to do with tribalism FYI I am a full blown Yoruba guy from Osun state
The truth is bitter but before you quote me wrong and ask for my head on a platter ask yourself this question; what if I am the victim , did hardship & the killing spree understand or speak my language.
We need to pick the best among us to rule us and the Yoruba guys are only doing the bidding of the Northerner slave master

The judiciary is gone
Everything is wrong with Nigeria

zeuss:
This is unbelievable

It’s not unexpected in ebilokan’s Nigeria. Not unexpected.

Highways:
Where Are The Cows? Is Evans A Herdsman?'


When Funke Olakurin, daughter of Afenifere leader, Pa Reuben Fasoranti was murdered instead of Bola Tinubu to make sure that the perpetrators were brought to book, he ended up making fun of the death of the young lady by turning everything into tribalism by showing his hates for Igbos.


Tinubu has never spoken against the deadly activities of Fulani herdsmen across the country

https://twitter.com/i/status/1150428613751320577


Mrs Olakunrin died of gunshot wounds in July 2019 after her vehicle was attacked by armed men, suspected to be marauding Fulani bandits whose violent activities had reached a frightening level across the southwest states.


Those arrested suspects include Lawal Mazaje, 40, from Felele area of Kogi State; Adamu Adamu, 50, from Jada area of Adamawa State; Mohammed Usman, 26, from Illela area of Sokoto State and Auwal Abubakar, 25, from Shinkafi area of Zamfara State....

However, the leader of the team, identified only as Tambaya, and three others are yet to be found.

Tambaya has been declared wanted by the police and he is said to be capable of communicating in Hausa, Fulfude and Pidgin English.

https://www.timesng.com/news/top-news/388382-afenifere-police-speak-on-arrest-of-alleged-killers-of-fasorantis-daughter.html

Hmmm

No more the hope of the common man

What!

How would banditry and killing end in the North with injustice.

Even though I'm a born again Christian, I the decision of the supreme court. No Christian has the right to kill a Muslim for any reason. We should rather report to the nearest police station and not turn to jungle justice

Ikaeniyan0:
Even in America, he will be sentenced to death. It's left for the state government to rightfully pardon him

You are evidently uneducated. America has 50 states so with different laws. Texas for instance has " stand your ground" laws. Not the same in Colorado. You should try to educate yourself before commenting on topics you are ignorant in.

Ikaeniyan0:
Please when did Nigerians appoint you as our spokesman?

Since ebilokan appointed himself as our spokesperson a decade ago, only to reinforce the failures of the 2011 expired soldier he fraudulently packaged as APC change messiah when he was nothing but a shege master.

Emergingnation:
Flashback: How Bola Tinubu spoke highly of Buhari in 2015, named PDP ‘Poverty Development Party

National leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, Bola Tinubu had during the presidential campaign in 2015, referred to President Muhammadu Buhari as the only solution for the security and economic challenges facing Nigeria.

During a mega presidential rally, the former governor of Lagos State recalled how some powerful nations in the world returned to army generals when they were challenged, saying “Major General Buhari would revive Nigeria’s economy”.

He named the current opposition People’s Democratic Party, PDP as the “Poverty Development Party saying they had nothing to offer.

His words at the time were; “Every nation has a period of their own challenges, when America was challenged, they turned to one great man, their ex-military general, General Eisenhower. When the French were challenged, they turned to their general, Charles de Gaulle.

“When Britain was challenged, they turned to their general. Today, Nigeria is economically and physically challenged so we turn to General Muhammadu Buhari. He is the right man for the job. If you talk about military experience, he has it abundantly, he has courage, simplicity, he has it abundantly.

“If you talk about great determination, a combination of vision and ability to perform, honesty and integrity, he has it abundantly.

“I laugh when the incapable government, ‘Poverty Development Party’ PDP were talking. They have nothing again to say, they now want to question the qualifications of General Buhari and look for his certificate”.

Following the manifestos in 2015 which projected the APC presidential candidate as a ‘saviour’, Buhari defeated the then incumbent president, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan with Nigerians expecting a total change in security and economy.

https://dailypost.ng/2021/09/01/flashback-how-bola-tinubu-spoke-highly-of-buhari-in-2015-named-pdp-poverty-development-party/

Supreme court verdict is like giving licences to herdsmen to attack, sack and kill farmers in their farm and absolving them from prosecution and calling self defense criminal especially when attacked by fulani herdsmen.

It's like saying if a woman is pinned down and about to be raped in her farm by a fulani herdsman who have removed her pants and the woman in a desperate bid to fight back succeeded in grabbing his knife and stabbed him during the scuffle, she is guilty of committing murder and should be sentenced to death because she could have fled after seizing his weapon with the excuse that the herdsman have not yet unzipped his tros.

When a country have a bad justice and controversial legal system that breeds injustice, the country will be bedevelled with insecurity.

Na wah oh. Person use machete attack me for my farm. I come manage grab am when e don chuck me. We come dey fight. Till I kill am. Them come sentence me to death, say I suppose run when e chuck me

Where is CAN?
CAN President should lead the entire nation (both Christians and Muslims) to Asorock.
This is injustice to the entire nation, not issue of Christians or Muslims.

I am not surprised, it is, what it is!
A country were self defence is a criminal offence thereby encouraging terrorist for more disaster against innocent masses.
The justice system of Nigeria is nothing but a shame...

Islamized country
A country that has ARABIC words on its currency and army logo. what do you expect.?

Ikaeniyan0:
Please when did Nigerians appoint you as our spokesman?

Stop ing evil for the sake of the country.

How many times have you condemned same Fulani herdsmen killing people in their farmlands,and also sacking indigenous peoples from their homeland?

You are a hypocrite 😭

Why village pipu wan push this man inside bottomless pit nah?

The CAN of worms should put together a team of elderly SANs to review this case, if the legal team is of the opinion that the judgement is not fair, then CAN of worms and some elderly SANs can write to the government to give the guy a State pardon which can happen in less than 6 months.

It is so sad and I am telling you that loosing faith in our judiciary might be the beginning of the earthquake revolution we have been waiting for. It would come like a whirlwind, dragging anything that comes against it. I can't wait for that day to come. Been ready and waiting for long.....

Dreal1247:
Nigerians are already loosing confidence in the judiciary. Since when has self defense become a crime in our society? All the people who were involved in the court proceedings especially the presiding officers should loose their licenses.