Spokesman to Kaduna State police Mohammed Jalige in a phone conversation with our correspondent said, “I can confirm to you that he has been arrested and he is in police custody.”
“I cannot tell you about where he is (whether Kaduna or Kano State custody) but he has been arrested.”
Bala, the president of the Humanist Association of Nigeria, was arrested by the police on Wednesday afternoon at his residence in Kaduna State, Jalige disclosed.
Association of Black Humanists @abhumanists tweeted: We at Association of Black Humanists are distressed and outraged at the arrest of #MubarakBala. We condemn in the strongest possible terms this action. We add our voice of support to HAN, and will continue to speak up for nonbelievers across the world. #FreeMubarakBala
Although Jalige did not speak about the reason of the arrest, it is not unconnected to Bala’s recent outburst against Islamic Prophet Muhammad (SAW) in a Facebook post.
On Monday, April 27, Mubarak compared popular Lagos pastor and president of Synagogue Church of Nations Prophet TB Joshua to Prophet Mohammed.
Mubarak Bala has committed an act of sacrilege , and worst still a blasphemy, by his drug-fuelled post on Facebook. What he did was blasphemy or the unpardonable sin, a sin so awesomely bad that it can not be forgiven. We cannot tolerate that. #MubarakBala must not be freed. – Muhammad Bukar @Mohammed_Esq posted on Twitter
“There’s no difference between prophet TB Joshua (S.A.W) of Lagos and Muhammadu (A.S.) of Saudi Arabia, it is better for our Nigeria to be terrorism,” Bala said.
In another post, Bala said, “Whoever believes religion has been duped – If you cant take blasphemy against Islam, criticism of its doctrines, this page is not for you. I have not even started ooo.”
His post was greeted with threats of arrest for blasphemy in the comment section. Unrepentant of his stance against Islam, Bala said the threat was from ‘morons’ who should know better.
Days later, a group of lawyers petitioned the Kano State Police command to prosecute Bala for insulting Prophet Muhammad.
Kamil Kafi @Kameel_kk also tweeted that: The highest expectation of Muslims towards the non-muslims is “everyone to his belief” while the least is blasphemy of our prophet or derision of our religion, Islam. Let the law take its course on #MubarakBala
Bala is not new to issues around blasphemy by government and private citizens.
In June 2014, he was held at the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital by government officials who claimed he was a psychiatric patient against his wish.
In a post on International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU) website said he was detained at the hospital on the grounds of a “personality change” because he had become an atheist despite being raised in a Muslim family.
Source: The Guardian
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Let the infidel be punished according to what he buy by himself. We are supporting the Authority to do its work or else ppl can do it by themselves.
He should remain in custody till he is fully repentant and promise not to do so again.