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Humanists In Jos Condemn Court Verdict On Mubarak Bala, Seek His Release

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Humanists In Jos Condemn Court Verdict On Mubarak Bala, Seek His Release

More outrage on Wednesday trailed the judgment handed to the President of the Humanists Association of Nigeria, Mubarak Bala, by the presiding judge of a high court in Kano State.

The fresh condemnation came from humanists in Jos, Plateau State, who issued a statement with the title ” Mubarak Bala and the religious cruelty.”

The statement which was unsigned reads: “Mubarak Bala is an ex-Muslim cum atheist, who had denounced Islam sometime in 2014. He has since taken to social media to criticize some Islamic teachings and practices which did not sit well with some devotees.

“He was later arrested after being kidnapped from his home in Kaduna State on April 28, 2020, and taken to Kano State by Islamic state-controlled security apparatus.

“He was held incommunicado against his fundamental human rights for 706 (seven hundred and six) days by religious fanatics in the guise of the Kano State government. He was denied bail and visit from his wife, son, friends, and well-wishers. His physical and mental health deteriorated from prolonged incarceration among other inhumane treatment he received while being held in detention.

“His case was once again heard on the 707th day of his incarceration and judgment was delivered on that same day, Tuesday, 5th of April, 2022 by Justices ??? of a high court in Kano state. He was sentenced to 24 years imprisonment after he pleaded guilty – against the advice of his counsel and legal team – to 18 count charges bordering on blasphemous and inciting posts he made on his social media page(s).

You may now be tempted to execute the following pirouette: He shouldn’t have criticized or talked about other people’s religious beliefs and/or practices. But we have to admit that religious beliefs are mere ideologies that have been passed down for many generations. As such, when such ideas are challenged through criticism, people shouldn’t be killed or maimed or incarcerated or imprisoned. This simply shows how gruesomely cruel people could be under the influence of religion.

READ ALSO: Humanists Outraged Over Sentencing of Mubarak Bala for Blasphemy

“And yet that is exactly the society we are living in. This is the woefully irrational world that religious fanatics and extremists are working so tirelessly to create.

“It is terrible that we will all die and lose everything we love; it is doubly terrible that so many human beings suffer needlessly while alive. That so much of this suffering can be directly attributed to religion – religious hatreds, religious wars, religious taboos, and religious diversions of scarce resources – is what makes the honest criticism of religious faith a moral and intellectual necessity.

“Unfortunately, expressing such criticism places nonbelievers such as Mubarak Bala and thousands of other Mubaraks out there at the margins of society. By merely being in touch with reality, they appear shamefully out of touch with the fantasy life of their religiously fanatic neighbours.

“Devout Muslims are as convinced as they could be that their religion is perfect and that any deviation or criticism leads directly to hell and every debate about public policy is subverted to the whims of ancient authors. This is a horrific misappropriation of our material, moral, and intellectual resources. and nothing short of RELIGIOUS CRUELTY.

“We, therefore, call on the Kano State government and the Federal Government to see to it that Mubarak Bala is freed from all religiously coated charges brought against him and by extension, free him from RELIGIOUS CRUELTY of any kind. We ask for justice for Mubarak Bala.”

 

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Stop Panic Buying, Fuel Subsidy Removal Not Immediate – Tinubu

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Why I Stopped Using Social Media - Tinubu
President Tinubu

President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday assured Nigerians that the removal of subsidy would not be immediate and that they should stop panic buying of petroleum.

The president’s position was stated by the Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Media Centre.

In a statement, the centre urged the public to relax panic-buying that has ensued as a result of his speech.

The statement explained the development is neither new nor an action of his new administration.

The Tweet reads: “The public is advised to note that President Bola Tinubu’s declaration that “subsidy is gone” is neither a new development nor an action of his new administration.

“He was merely communicating the status quo, considering that the previous administration’s budget for fuel subsidy was planned and approved to last for only the first half of the year.

“Effectively, this means that by the end of June, the Federal Government will be without funds to continue the subsidy regime, translating to its termination.

“The panic-buying that has ensued as a result of the communication is needless; it will not take immediate effect.

“Furthermore, President Tinubu was clear about his plans to re-channel the funds previously devoted to the payment of subsidies into better investments that will cushion the effects of the removal on the general public, especially the poor of the poor. This includes but is not limited to investments in public infrastructure, education, healthcare and jobs that will materially improve the lives of millions of Nigerians and increase their earning potential.”

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BREAKING: Court Okays Death Sentence For Hilton Hotel Owner Adedoyin For Murder Of OAU Student Adegoke

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Dr. Adedoyin

Dr Rahman Adedoyin, the owner of Hilton Hotel Ile-Ife, where Timothy Adegoke, an Obafemi Awolowo University postgraduate student was allegedly killed, will die by hanging.

This was the ruling of the Osun State Chief Judge, Justice Oyebola Ojo.

Earlier, the court found Adedoyin culpable of murder.

The Chief Judge in her judgement said the owner of the hotel and two of his workers, based on the circumstances of the case established by the prosecuting counsel, Femi Falana, SAN, are found culpable of conspiracy to commit murder, and unlawful killing of the deceased.

Adegoke had lodged in Hilton Hotels and Resorts at Ile-Ife upon his arrival from Abuja on November 5, 2021, to enable him to arrive early for his examination at the OAU Distance Learning Centre, Moro, Osun State, on November 6 and November 7, 2021.

He later went missing and was found dead buried in a grave following a police investigation of the hotel owner, Dr Rahman Adedoyin and its workers.

After Adegoke was declared missing, the police were invited and seven suspects were arrested after which an investigation commenced.

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Tinubu Names Dele Alake As Spokesman

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Dele Alake

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has announced Mr Dele Alake as his Presidential Spokesman. He also appointed his SA on Digital Media and the State Chief of Protocol.

Ambassador Victor Kunle Adeleke is the State Chief of Protocol (SCOP) to the President while Olusegun Dada is SA Digital Media.

This were the first set of appointments by President Tinubu as the 16th Commander-In-Chief of the Army Forces in the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Dele Alake is a journalist and editor. He was a commissioner for information while Tinubu was a governor in Lagos State.

 

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