The Nigeria Police Force has failed to release atheist Mubarak Bala, despite an order of the Federal High Court mandating the Inspector-General of Police to release him.

Bala, who is also the President of the Nigerian Humanist Association, was arrested for allegedly blaspheming Prophet Mohammed in a Facebook post in April.

Mubarak Bala

A lawyer, S. S. Umar, subsequently petitioned the Commissioner of Police in Kano State, demanding Bala's arrest. They arrested Bala in Kaduna State and transferred him to Kano where he has remained since April 28, 2020.

Bala's lawyers filed a fundamental human rights suit before Justice Inyang Ekwo of a Federal High Court in Abuja. The court on December 21, 2020, ordered Bala's immediate release.

However, it was learnt that Bala spent Christmas and Boxing Day in prison and might spend the New Year in detention if the court order was not complied with by Thursday.

Speaking with The PUNCH on Tuesday, Bala's lawyer, Mr James Ibor, said the police had no intention of obeying the court order. 

Ibor said, "A court of law gave an order which was served on the police but the police have refused to comply.

"We have written to the police, we have made calls, some embassies have reached out. We ensured that the order was given to them because they didn't come to court. The court served the police headquarters and we have evidence of the service.

"They have not filed any notice of appeal. It is not even judgment they can appeal. It is a final ruling because the court over-indulged them. The matter was consistently adjourned at their instance; they didn't file anything; they just stopped coming to court. The IGP didn't come despite the processes served on him." 

According to affidavits, the police in Kano State denied Bala access to his lawyers for several months. Amid protests from several human rights organisations including Amnesty International, the police filed a First Information Report before a magistrate court in No Man's Land, Kano, accusing Bala of breaching the Cyber Crime Act to obtain a remand order.

However, no date was given for arraignment, thereby allowing the cops to hold him for months before transferring him to a correctional centre in Kano.

Attempts to speak with the Public Relations Officer in Kano State, Haruna Abdullahi, proved abortive as his phone was off while the Force Public Relations Officer, Frank Mba, did not respond to calls.

Source: http://saharareporters.com/2020/12/31/atheist-mubarak-spends-holiday-prison-police-shun-court-order-his-release

What do you expect when we are in a Junta

what's the need of charging someone to court if you know you won't obey a court order that's Against your wish?

Indeed
There was a country!

It's no surprise the illegal acts would transpire in the corrupt tyrannical state of Kano. Religious zealots dont care about anyone's individual rights. The fact is Mubarak did nothing wrong. The prosecutors couldn't even justify actions in court. Anti free speach laws like blasphemy need to be revoked because they're blatantly unconstitutional. Hopefully the athiest win their case when they get to the supreme court.

Nigeria shall be great again.

GIdiata:
what's the need of charging someone to court if you know you won't obey a court order that's Against your wish?

The state simply uses the court to give themselves the veneer of legitimacy. Most people are cowards who wont fight back like Mubarak did. They just plead guilty to their arbitrary rules even if it's unconstitutional. A good example is the guy who pleaded guilty to insulting the governor in Katsina. Government in Nigeria passes all sorts of illegal laws but they're hardly challenged.

Blue3k:


The state simply uses the court to give themselves the veneer of legitimacy. Most people are cowards who wont fight back like Mubarak did. They just plead guilty to their arbitrary rules even if it's unconstitutional. A good example is the guy who pleaded guilty to insulting the governor in Katsina. Government in Nigeria passes all sorts of illegal laws but they're hardly challenged.

Well said

Q

This disobedience to the rule of law or orders is now rampant

Na by force to believe Mohammed?

There is no peace in Islam. How can normal person fighting for God? I don't see any sense in this slavery religion. Religion without peace for poor.

Odewaleadesoye:
With all sincerity my people, Nigeria has 3 major problems which need urgent attention. The problems are:

1. Religion: Before the introduction of either Christianity or Islam, Nigeria was busy and no worshipper of Sango would go to the house of Ogun worshipper to canvass his own belief to him. Everyone worshipped his or her own god gently and there was peace almost everywhere. Immediately Christianity and Islamic religions set in, things started going upside down. Christians won't want to see Muslims and vice versa.

Sometimes I wonder the essence of these religions.


2. Ethnicity: Another maggot that is eating this country up is Ethnicity.. I'm Yorùbá, you're Igbo and they are Haúsá. This is so serious in our country and the rate at which it's destroying this country is alarming.


3. Corruption: You'all should understand this. We are in deep mess because of this problem.

If Nigeria should tackle these 3 problems, trust me, this country will emerge the best in the world.

I don't have anything to say on his release for now.

ODEWALE ADESOYE

Can you explicitly tell us how "tackling these three problems" => Nigeria being the best in the world?

I am confused. How do we start from point A to get to Point B?

Welcome to the large zoo of nigeria

This Govt is so foolish sincerely. They have not learnt anything from the endsars movement. They are seriously calling for a revolution. What nonsense is this?? With all the security issues we have, what they are concerned about is blasphemy?? The court has ruled for God's sake. Let him go!!!!!!!

Followers follow the actions of their leader. If the President has been sacking incompetent people like the service chiefs etc the police and other institutions will sit up.

Is the IGP not aware of this travesty of Justice

Welcome to The zoo called Nigeria

Religion bigot worst more than covid-19, talk against religion in the north both the educated and illiterate would ask for your head but if you bomb thousand of people they will give you presidential pardon.


Fear north.

Nigerian police are simply following orders from 'above'.

Never has Nigeria had such a openly religiously extremist government

Nigeria is a
zoo
zoo
zoo
zoo
zoo
zoo
zoo
zoo
zoo
zoo
zoo
zoo
zoo
zoo
zoo
zoo
zoo
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Happy New year everyone we must manage in this zoo together

Allah should fight for himself

Lawless people in a lawless government.

The police should respect court order.. Are we in the zoo?

And pls, let's always respect people's choice of religion..
Choice of behavior and attitudes.
We are created differently, we can't do or act the same way..

Na so one atheist dey drag me sometimes this year.. He was even tagging me on every of his post and making reference to me just because I aired my opinion...

Stupid country where government refuses to abide with laws.

Police shuns court order? Naija don cast finally. Lawlessness of the highest order.

Nawao

Atheism is not a crime, the sooner we wake up to the scam of religion and it's role in oppressing the population the better.

His gods will fight for me,

All because of Mohammed - a 10th century Arab (not a Nigerian o! A bloody Arab) who enjoyed sex with under age girls?

We can't continue like this, real revolution will come soon

Meanwhile check my signature for your direct Admission into 200level of any University of choice via IJMB

Odewaleadesoye:
With all sincerity my people, Nigeria has 3 major problems which need urgent attention. The problems are:

1. Religion: Before the introduction of either Christianity or Islam, Nigeria was busy and no worshipper of Sango would go to the house of Ogun worshipper to canvass his own belief to him. Everyone worshipped his or her own god gently and there was peace almost everywhere. Immediately Christianity and Islamic religions set in, things started going upside down. Christians won't want to see Muslims and vice versa.

Sometimes I wonder the essence of these religions.


2. Ethnicity: Another maggot that is eating this country up is Ethnicity.. I'm Yorùbá, you're Igbo and they are Haúsá. This is so serious in our country and the rate at which it's destroying this country is alarming.


3. Corruption: You'all should understand this. We are in deep mess because of this problem.

If Nigeria should tackle these 3 problems, trust me, this country will emerge the best in the world.

I don't have anything to say on his release for now.

ODEWALE ADESOYE

Replace No. 1 with Islam. Christianity had it's bad times during the old days such as during the time of the Inquisition. Now it is Islam that is the world's problem. People don't want to specific in calling them out so they don't get beheaded so they use "Religion"

I thought the right to belief is a fundamental human right.
Why is this country stupid biko.


No, like why??
This thing is seriously annoying me.
I don't like being tribalistic, but this kano people shouldn't push me to.
Tufiakwa!
Useless country.

Blue3k:


The state simply uses the court to give themselves the veneer of legitimacy. Most people are cowards who wont fight back like Mubarak did. They just plead guilty to their arbitrary rules even if it's unconstitutional. A good example is the guy who pleaded guilty to insulting the governor in Katsina. Government in Nigeria passes all sorts of illegal laws but they're hardly challenged.

They used paid apologists, unpaid apologists and gullible people to counter those who challenge the "illegal law".