Posted by Samuel on Wed 08th Jan, 2025 - tori.ng
Bala, who was the president of the Humanist Association of Nigeria, was arrested on 28 April 2020 at his Kaduna home and taken to Kano after complaints of blasphemy and incitement were filed against him.
A Nigerian atheist, Mubarak Bala, has voiced concerns for his safety following his release from prison after serving four years for blasphemy.
Bala, who was the president of the Humanist Association of Nigeria, was arrested on 28 April 2020 at his Kaduna home and taken to Kano after complaints of blasphemy and incitement were filed against him.
He was accused of breaching public peace and inciting outrage among Muslims.
In 2022, a Kano State High Court sentenced him to 24 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to 18-count charge, including blasphemy and incitement.
However, his sentence was reduced by an appellate court, which deemed it excessive.
Speaking to the BBC after his release, Bala revealed, “The freedom is here but also, there is an underlying threat that I will now have to face, probably all those years those threats are maybe out there while I was under the security system.”
“The concern about my safety is always there,” he added.
When asked why he pleaded guilty, Bala explained he did so to protect himself and others.
“I believe that what I did then was saving not only my life but people in the state and especially those that were attached to my case, because they were also targets,” he said.
Bala’s appeal against the sentence was based on four grounds: “Lack of jurisdiction of the Kano State High Court; the Judge’s predisposition to convict as indicated in the delivery of his ruling; failure to accord Bala the benefits of a guilty plea; and misapplication of law in sentencing Bala to consecutive terms.”
His case has drawn international attention, with human rights groups raising concerns about his safety and the implications for freedom of expression in Nigeria.