Mubarak Bala, a Nigerian atheist, has expressed concerns for his safety after being released from prison, where he served four years for blasphemy.
Bala, former president of the Humanist Association of Nigeria, was arrested on April 28, 2020, at his home in Kaduna and transferred to Kano in response to allegations of blasphemy and incitement. He was accused of disturbing the public peace and sparking outrage among Muslims.
In 2022, Bala was sentenced to 24 years in prison by a Kano State High Court after pleading guilty to 18 charges, including blasphemy and incitement. However, an appellate court later reduced his sentence, ruling it excessive.
Speaking with the BBC following his release, Bala shared, “I have my freedom, but there’s an underlying threat I now face. I believe those threats may have been lingering during the years I was under the security system.”
He added that concerns about his safety persist.
When asked about his guilty plea, Bala explained that it was a strategy to protect himself and others. “I believe what I did then was not just to save my own life, but also to protect people in the state, especially those connected to my case, as they were also targeted,” he said.
Bala’s appeal against the original sentence was based on several grounds, including: the Kano State High Court’s lack of jurisdiction, the judge’s bias towards conviction, the failure to grant the benefits of a guilty plea, and the misapplication of law in sentencing him to consecutive terms.
His case has garnered international attention, with human rights organizations raising alarms about his safety and the broader implications for freedom of expression in Nigeria.
Netizens on X had varying reactions, here are a few of them:
@BonoOrthodox : I wonder how badly he blasphemed. I agree it should be a crime.
@BayoSolomon_ : He better travel abroad
@BenDiaspora : I join Bala in thanking the Almighty and all merciful God.
