Nigerian Atheist Mubarak Bala: Released From Jail, But Still Fears For His Life

Blasphemy is a crime under Islamic law – sharia – which operates alongside secular law in 12 states in the north. It is also a crime under the criminal law of Nigeria.

Bala, who renounced Islam in 2014, said there were times during his imprisonment when he felt he “couldn’t come out on the right”. He feared being targeted by guards or fellow inmates at his first prison in Kano, a predominantly Muslim prison.

“Freedom is here, but now there is a major threat I must face,” he said. “All these years, these threats, maybe they’re out there.”

He could have been inside for much longer had it not been for an appeals court judge who reduced the original 24-year sentence last year, calling it “excessive.”

Bala, who emerged from prison in the capital Abuja, looked tired but cheerful in a white T-shirt, khaki shorts and flip-flops. He appeared with a glowing lawyer by his side.

“Everything is new to me. Everything is new,” he said as he embraced his newfound freedom.

Bala, an outspoken critic of religion, was arrested after a group of lawyers complained to the police about the social media post.

He then spent two years in prison before being sentenced in 2022.

At the time, Bala’s guilty plea shocked many, even the law enforcement community, but he stands by his decision and says it eased the pressure on those around him, including his lawyers, friends and family.

“I believe what I did saved not only my life but also the people in Kano.

“Especially those connected to my work, because they are also targeted.”

His conviction was widely condemned by international rights groups and sparked a debate over freedom of speech in Nigeria.

His detention also sent shockwaves through Nigeria’s small atheist and humanist communities, and his release brought relief to many, but concerns remain.

“This is no thanks and thanks,” said Leo Igwe, founder of the Humanist Association of Nigeria.

“Thank you, he left, thankfully he is a free man. But thank you, because he has a scratch on him as if he committed a crime. For us at the Humanist Association, he has not committed any crime.”

As for Bala, he wants to make up for lost time, including getting to know his youngest son, who was six weeks old when he was incarcerated. But he said he has no regrets.

“My activism, my posts on social networks, I always knew the worst would happen, I knew I could be killed when I decided to go out. I knew the dangers and I still decided to do it.”