News
Northern CAN decries court judgment on Adamawa farmer, Sunday Jackson
By Amos Tauna, Kaduna
Thean Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the 19 Northern states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, has expressed concern with the Supreme Court’s judgment that sentenced Mr. Sunday Jackson, a farmer from Adamawa State to death by hanging for self-defence.
CAN strongly believed that the decision is contrary to the provisions of Adamawa State Penal Code, Sections 23 & 24, saying that the Adamawa State Penal Code Section 23 provides that “Nothing is an offence which is done in the lawful exercise of the right of private defence”.
The attention of the 19 Northern States and FCT Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN)
has been drawn to a recent Supreme Court’s judgment which sentenced Mr. Sunday
Jackson, a farmer from Adamawa State to death by hanging for self-defence, a decision
we strongly believe is contrary to the provisions of Adamawa State Penal Code, Sections
23 & 24. The Adamawa State Penal Code Section 23 provides inter alia:
“Nothing is an offence which is done in the lawful exercise of the right of private
defence.”
Sunday was arraigned on November 21, 2018, on a one count charge of causing the death of one Ardo Bawuro by stabbing him with a knife thrice on the neck with the intention of causing
his death, stressing that the knife which Sunday used to stab Bawuro actually belonged to the same Ardo Bawuro that he had succeeded in collecting.
A statement issued by Rev. John joseph Hayab and Bishop Mohammed Naga, chairman and Secretary General of Northern CAN said, “The statement of facts of the Appellant’s brief of argument was that the defendant testified
for himself on the 27th day of February, 2020 and the matter was adjourned to the 27th
day of August 2020 for the adoption of final written addresses of the prosecution and
defence counsels. Judgment was delivered on the 10th day of February, 2021.
“A calculation of the time between the adoption of final addresses of counsels on August
27th, 2020 and the delivery of judgment on February 10, 2021 amounts to in excess of 167
days.”
It explained that the 1999 constitution was amended to afford expeditious dispensation of justice to litigants by the prescription of 90 days within which a judgment must be delivered from close of final addresses, saying that by section 294 (5), judgments delivered beyond the 90 days prescribed by subsection 1 ofBy section 294 (5), judgments delivered beyond the 90 days prescribed by subsection 1 of section 294 is a nullity as it a nullity as it amounts to miscarriage of justice.
According to the statemen, “The facts of this case are a textbook case of miscarriage of justice: In the first place, Mr Sunday Jackson was held awaiting trial for capital offence for several years – a trial that essentially consisted of no more than five sittings. Instead of a five-day trial, he spent over six years in custody in a non-controversial trial in which he did not deny that the death of the deceased occurred as a result of an altercation via self-defence.
Having spent all this time, Mr Jackson was further subjected to 167 days of agonising wait for judgment as to whether he should be freed or hanged in violation of constitutional
protections against such protracted delays.”
CAN noted that it is highly regrettable that notwithstanding the unambiguous provision of Section 23 of the Adamawa State Penal Code Laws, the trial judge went ahead to sentence Mr. Sunday Jackson to death by hanging, lamenting that painfully, both the Appeal and Supreme Courts upheld “this grave travesty of justice”.
The statement opined that that the trial judge misinterpreted Section 23 of the Adamawa State Penal Code Laws to mean that Sunday Jackson had the option of flight when he was attacked and injured on his leg and not to fight in self-defence clearly distorted logic on its head by saying plaintiff should have run away while having admitted into evidence that he was stabbed in the leg and thus momentarily handicapped.
In view of the foregone, the statement added that the 19 Northern States and FCT Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) appealed to the Governor of Adamawa State, Ahmadu
Umaru Fintiri to kindly, in the exercise of his constitutional duties and the “prerogative of
mercy”, and in the spirit of peace building and reconciliation which both the state and the
nation now desperately need, to please pardon Mr Sunday Jackson.
The statement said, “Mr Sunday Jackson has truly been subjected to the excruciating pain of waiting for death in the midst of the shadow of death by the grave travesty of the misinterpretation of Section 23 of the Adamawa State Penal Code Laws and the unnecessary prolonged trial that lasted
six and half years, which ordinarily should not have lasted such a lengthy period.”
CAN, therefore, appealed to Governor Fintiri to also consider the agonising wait for judgment Jackson was subjected to, believing that the governor will graciously accede to this humble plea.
BY ANKELI EMMANUEL, Sokoto
In their dedication to ensuring zero dose, the African Health Budget Network (AHBN) has appealed to mother’s and caregivers in Sokoto State to always prioritize child immunization always.
Making the appeal in a signed press release as part of their commitment to the ongoing International Women Day’s celebration, AHBN) State Focal Person,
Umar Garba Kadi, said vaccines are safe and protect children from preventable diseases.
Garba Kadi who also appreciated Sokoto State government for it’s support to ensuring meeting a zero dose, however, appealed for more commitment and support to make immunization more appealing and accessible especially for parents and caregivers at the rural areas.
Continuing, Kadi said,
“The observance of the International Women Day, is draw attention to the importance of women and the critical roles they play generally. And in line with that, we want to also use the avenue to send a reminder of the importance of prioritizing our children’s health.
“We therefore, urge all mothers and caregivers to ensure their children receive all recommended vaccines,” Garba Kadi advised.
Talking on the mission of African Health Budget Network, the Sokoto State Focal Person, Garba Kadi re-affirmed that it is dedicated to advocating for health budget transparency and sustainability and ensuring all children receive life saving vaccinations.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited has revealed that reforms in the oil and gas sector, driven by the enactment of the Petroleum Industry Act 2021 and Executive Orders issued by President Bola Tinubu, attracted about $17bn in foreign investment in 2024.
The Executive Vice President of Upstream, Udy Ntia, disclosed this during an investor session at the 2025 CERAWeek by S&P Global in Houston, Texas, USA.
This was contained in a statement issued by NNPCL spokesperson, Olufemi Soneye, on Wednesday.
He noted that the reforms have significantly liberalised the regulatory framework, offering incentives for cost recovery, royalty payments, and profit-sharing mechanisms.
Speaking on the theme, “Spotlight: Attracting Investment for Oil and Gas”, Ntia emphasised that Nigeria was well-positioned as a safe and attractive destination for investment as the nation is currently expanding its oil and gas industry to meet rising global energy demand driven by geopolitical tensions and the energy policies of the US administration.
“For us in Nigeria, despite global energy security concerns, including those in Europe, we see significant opportunities. We have strategically positioned our assets to leverage the current strong price environment, which has remained favourable over the past two to three years. As a result, we anticipate substantial investment inflows into the sector,” he stated.
Ntia called on global investors to direct their attention to the Nigerian oil and gas sector as the nation is now an investors’ haven owing to the robust regulatory reforms and the investment-friendly policies of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
The EVP listed some of the areas with huge investment opportunities in the country including the refining and gas sub-sectors.
He stressed that Nigeria was keen on expanding its refining capacity to reduce dependency on imports, even as it is also interested in tapping into the nation’s vast gas reserves of about 207 trillion cubic feet to drive industrialisation and economic growth.
“Gas will play a critical role in Nigeria’s energy future. We are expanding our gas infrastructure in collaboration with partners such as Shell, ENI, and Total. Our LNG Train 7 project is advancing, and we are investing in domestic pipeline networks to meet local energy demands,” he explained.
He encouraged foreign investors, particularly from China and India, to explore the investment opportunities in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, citing the country’s large crude oil reserves (over 37 billion barrels) and flexible investment models, including joint ventures and production-sharing contracts.
“Nigeria offers a stable democracy, improved security, and a business-friendly regulatory framework. We welcome investors from China, India, and beyond to partner with us in unlocking the vast potential of Nigeria’s oil and gas sector,” Ntia stated.
The session featured global industry leaders such as the Deputy Director General of Planning, China National Petroleum Corporation, Pinxian Zhang; Managing Director of ONGC Videsh Ltd, Rajarshi Gupta; and Chairman of Libya’s National Oil Corporation, Masoud Mahmoud.
CERAWeek is one of the largest energy conferences in the world, drawing thousands of foremost global energy industry experts and a host of other corporate and government leaders from around the world annually to Houston, United States, for a week-long conversation on the future of energy.
Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja has scheduled the trial of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, for Friday, March 21.
This decision was confirmed on Wednesday after the case file was transferred to Justice Omotosho following a reassignment.
Kanu is facing a seven-count terrorism charge brought against him by the Federal Government.
Justice Omotosho was assigned the case after Justice Binta Nyako, the previous judge presiding over the matter, recused herself.
Justice Nyako’s recusal on September 24, 2024, followed allegations of bias raised by Kanu and his legal team, who requested the transfer of the case to another judge.
However, the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court initially returned the case to Justice Nyako, insisting that Kanu and his legal team must file a formal application for the recusal to be accepted.
Meanwhile, Kanu opposed being made to appear before Justice Nyako in the next proceedings, which led to his case being adjourned sine die (indefinitely).
On February 20, 2025, Kanu’s legal team wrote to the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, seeking her intervention.
They requested that the case be reassigned to another judge in the Federal High Court in Abuja or transferred to the Southeast.
Kanu’s lead counsel, Aloy Ejimakor, in a statement on Saturday, March 8, revealed that they had received two separate letters regarding the case.
One letter from the CJN and the other letter he said was from the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho, informing them that the case had been reassigned to another judge of the Federal High Court.
Justice Omotosho will now preside over the case, with proceedings set to resume on March 21, 2025.