American pastor offers his life for Nigerian Christian sentenced to death by hanging

An American pastor is providing his life in change for a Nigerian Christian sentenced to dying by hanging for killing a Fulani herdsman in self-defense throughout an assault on his farm.

Pastor William Devlin, the missions pastor of Infinity Bible Church within the South Bronx, New York, is talking out in help of Sunday Jackson after the Supreme Court docket of Nigeria upheld the farmer’s dying sentence on March 7. Devlin first introduced his plea when talking to a bunch of reporters in Nigeria after the courtroom made its resolution. 

“I used to be simply full of emotion,” Devlin advised The Christian Publish. “I mentioned to the press, ‘My relationship with Jesus Messiah calls for that I supply myself up for Sunday Jackson, a lot as Jesus Messiah provided Himself up for me.'” 

“God has blessed me with an awesome life,” the pastor mentioned, noting that he is 72 whereas Jackson is simply 30 years outdated. “If I can save that man’s life, and so they take my life, then I am prepared to do it.” 

Devlin, the volunteer CEO of the nonprofit charities REDEEM! and Widows & Orphans, has traveled the globe for years advocating for and standing in solidarity with persecuted Christians. He has been concerned in Jackson’s case since 2021, the 12 months Justice Fatima Ahmed Tafida, a Muslim, sentenced the farmer to dying. 

The sentence adopted a 2015 incident by which a Fulani herder, Buba Ardo Bawuro, allegedly pulled a knife on Jackson. On the time, Jackson was a farmer and pupil from Demsa Native Authorities Space of Adamawa State. 

Jackson says he was engaged on his farm in Numan when Bawuro herded his animals onto Jackson’s farm and allowed them to feed on his crops. Jackson maintains that the herdsman attacked and injured him when he tried to confront Bawuro concerning the scenario, however the farmer managed to overpower and kill the person. 

On the preliminary trial in 2021, the Adamawa Excessive Court docket choose interpreted the regulation to imply that Jackson ought to have fled the scene as an alternative of killing his attacker, sentencing the farmer to dying by hanging. The Supreme Court docket of Nigeria upheld this ruling earlier this month.

Whereas Devlin joins varied Christian leaders in advocating for clemency in Jackson’s case, the pastor and human rights advocate clarified that he’s ready to die within the farmer’s place if these efforts show unsuccessful. 

“I see it as obedience to the Scripture,” the pastor acknowledged. “Jesus Messiah did it for me. He went to the cross, and I’ve a brand new life due to that. So why would not I do this for another person?” 

Leaders with the Christian Affiliation of Nigeria are calling on Adamawa Gov. Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri to pardon Jackson. 

“The info of this case are a textbook case of miscarriage of justice: Within the first place, Mr. Sunday Jackson was held awaiting trial for capital offence for a number of years — a trial that basically consisted of not more than 5 sittings,” a CAN assertion launched after the Supreme Court docket’s ruling reads. 

“As a substitute of a five-day trial, he spent over six years in custody in a non-controversial trial by which he didn’t deny that the dying of the deceased occurred because of an altercation by way of self-defense.”

Violence in Nigeria between radicalized herders and predominantly Christian farming communities has led to 1000’s of deaths prior to now decade, with some teams contending that the usual has been reached to declare “genocide,” a declare the Nigerian authorities rejects. 

Christian advocates usually complain that violent assaults focusing on their communities in Muslim-majority northern Nigeria aren’t usually prosecuted and attackers are not often held accountable. 

Lawmakers within the U.S. Home of Representatives held a congressional listening to final Wednesday titled “Battle and Persecution in Nigeria: The Case for a CPC Designation.”

Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., chairman of the Home Overseas Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, known as on President Donald Trump’s administration to redesignate Nigeria as a “Nation of Explicit Concern,” a designation that may end up in potential sanctions or different diplomatic deterrence measures. 

Throughout his first presidency, the Trump administration designated Nigeria as a CPC in 2020, which former Secretary of State Anthony Blinken reversed in 2021 throughout President Joe Biden’s administration. The CPC label is reserved for nations that have interaction in and tolerate probably the most egregious violations of spiritual freedom. 

Whereas the Home Overseas Affairs Committee adopted H. Res. 82 final 12 months, which known as on the Biden administration to redesignate Nigeria as a CPC, the decision by no means got here to the Home ground. Smith reintroduced the laws earlier this month, which is now known as H.Res. 220. 

Bishop Wilfred Anagbe, Catholic Bishop of the Diocese of Makurdi, Nigeria, joined a number of specialists in testifying on the listening to. The bishop warned of a “long-term, Islamic agenda” to “homogenize” the inhabitants and eradicate all the Christians. 

“This technique consists of each violent and non-violent actions, such because the exclusion of Christians from positions of energy, the kidnapping of Church members, the raping of girls, the killing and expulsion of Christians, the destruction of church buildings and farmlands of Christian farmers, adopted by the occupation of such lands by Fulani herders,” Anagbe testified. “All of this takes place with out authorities interference or reprisals.”

In line with the 2025 International Christian Aid Pink Listing, almost 10,000 Nigerian Christians died by the hands of Boko Haram and different Islamic extremist teams between November 2022 and November 2024. Along with Boko Haram, armed Fulani herders steadily goal Christians, subjecting them to violence and creating emotions of unrest.