When Self-Defence Is Punished: Exposing Nigeria’s Legal Injustice

Sunday Jackson’s pardon brings relief and raises urgent questions. More than a decade on death row, Jackson defended himself against an armed herder on his farm. He disarmed his attacker and used that weapon to save his life. Yet the courts condemned him for murder and upheld a death sentence. This outcome rests on a doctrine that strips victims of the right to neutralise ongoing threats. Once an assailant is disarmed, any force used thereafter is deemed unlawful. This legal fiction sacrifices victim safety and elevates criminal rights over self-preservation. By criminalising common-sense defence, this doctrine forces victims to gamble with their lives. Jackson’s pardon corrects one injustice, but true justice demands reform of the immoral legal logic that put him on death row. It is time for laws grounded in fairness, reason and respect for life.

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