Mubarak Bala, a prominent Nigerian atheist, has been released after spending over four years in prison for blasphemy. He is now living in a safe house as his legal team worries about his safety.
Bala, 40, was convicted in Kano after pleading guilty to 18 charges related to a controversial Facebook post in 2020. “The concern about my safety is always there,” he told the BBC during his first meal as a free man.
Nigeria is a deeply religious society, and blasphemy is a serious offence under the Islamic Sharia law, which applies in the north. Bala, who renounced Islam in 2014, feared for his life during his time in prison, especially in the predominantly Muslim city of Kano.
“Freedom is here, but there is an underlying threat I now have to face,” he said. “All those years, those threats, maybe they’re out there.”
His initial 24-year sentence was reduced last year by an appeals court judge who described the original sentence as “excessive.” Bala left the prison in Abuja looking tired but cheerful, accompanied by his lawyer.
Bala was arrested after a group of lawyers filed a complaint about his social media post. He spent two years in prison awaiting trial before being convicted in 2022. His guilty plea surprised many, but he stands by it, believing it eased the pressure on his supporters.
“I believe what I did saved not only my life but people in Kano,” he said. “Especially those that were attached to my case, because they are also a target.”
His conviction drew widespread condemnation from international rights groups and sparked a debate about freedom of speech in Nigeria. His release has been a relief to Nigeria’s small atheist and humanist communities, although concerns remain.
“It’s thanks and no thanks,” said Leo Igwe, founder of the Humanist Association of Nigeria. “Thanks, that he’s out, thanks that he’s a free man. But no thanks, because there is a dent on him as if he committed a crime. For us at the Humanist Association, he committed no crime.”
Bala is eager to make up for lost time and get to know his young son, who was just six weeks old when he was imprisoned. Despite everything, he has no regrets. “My activism, my posting on social media, I always knew the worst would happen,” he said. “When I made the decision to come out, I knew I could be killed. I knew the dangers, and I still decided to do it.
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