Mubarak Bala, a self-proclaimed atheist, was sentenced to 24 years in prison for blasphemy by a Kano State High Court sitting in Audu Bako on Tuesday.
Bala, the head of the Humanist Association of Nigeria, became viral in 2020 after being arrested in Kaduna for blasphemy against Allah (SWT) and Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and imprisoned for almost two years.
Bala pled guilty to blasphemy, claiming that his Facebook statements were not intended to incite violence, but that he would be careful not to repeat them in the future.
The court reminded him of his right to religion but warned that where his right stopped, that of others started, and added that there were many people with Bala’s ideology but they did go about insulting other people’s religion.
He was charged with an 18-count charge and sentenced by Justice Faruk Lawan to 24 years imprisonment.