BBC Africa released a new documentary this week shedding light on the obstacles humanists and atheists face in Nigeria while telling the story of a Nigerian imprisoned for blasphemy charges.
The program, narrated by BBC journalist Yemisi Adegoke, documents Mubarak Bala’s landmark case, which reveals the threats to religious freedom and tolerance in the West African country.
A group of women accused of using witchcraft was killed by the Islamic terrorist group Boko Haram after the death of a militant commander's children in the Borno state of north-eastern Nigeria, said relatives, residents, and a woman who escaped.
A Christian woman is on trial for blasphemy after forwarding a WhatsApp message. Her actions sparked Muslim riots in northeast Nigeria.
Rhoda Ya'u Jatau, a 45 years old Christian health worker, was arrested on May 20 in Bauchi state. Her crime was receiving and forwarding a WhatsApp message from Ghana denouncing the horrible murder of a university student from the Sokoto state, Deborah Emmanuel Yakubu, who was also wrongly accused of blasphemy.
On September 17, a pastor and dozens from his congregation were kidnapped from a Christian church in northwest Nigeria. Less than a week before, fifty-seven Christians were kidnapped at another church in a north-central state. In fact, the last few years have shown a marked increase in attacks and abductions in the country of both Christian church members and their clergy.
On August 17, a Nigerian federal appeals court ruled that Islamic Sharia (law) does not violate the country’s secular constitution in a two-to-one decision. It was also decided that Sharia courts have jurisdiction over blasphemy cases.
Dozens of people held captive in the basement of a church in Nigeria were freed by the police. They were waiting for their ascend to heaven after the second coming of Jesus Christ, as preached by the pastors responsible for the abduction.
A 70-year-old man and two other gay men were sentenced to death by stoning in Bauchi, Nigeria. The accused were charged and convicted for engaging in acts of homosexuality. They were arrested by the religious police force of the state on June 14.
A Muslim mob burned a 30-year-old Nigerian man to death in the capital of Abuja on June 4.
The murder of Ahman Usman, a security officer in The Vigilante Group of Nigeria in Abuja's Lugbe area, was allegedly accused of blasphemy. This sensitive issue recently resulted in violent incidents in the country. The Vigilante Group assists the local police in community matters.
Back in April, Humanists International wrote an online open letter to Kano State Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje regarding the unjust conviction and sentencing of Atheist activist Mubarak Bala. The open letter still welcomes signatures to show support and gather more attention.
On May 12, 2022, Sokoto State Police in northern Nigeria announced that they’d apprehended two suspects for the murder of Deborah Samuel after a riot started against her where a mob beat her to death and burned her body.
