A Kano-born atheist, Mubarak Bala, has pleaded guilty to all the 18-count charges leveled against him.
Mr Bala, who is the president of the Humanist Association of Nigeria, was arrested at his home in Kaduna state on 28 April 2020 and taken to Kano, where complaints of blasphemy and incitement were lodged against him.
He had earlier posted comments critical of Islam, Allah and Prophet Muhammad on Facebook, causing outrage among Muslims.
There has been campaign for his release or trial, with activists saying he was out of touch with his wife and lawyer.
But appearing before Justice Farouk Lawan of Kano High Court 4, Audu Bako Secretariat on Tuesday, Mr Bala pleaded guilty to all the charges.
When the judge asked him whether he knows the consequences of his guilty plea, Mr Bala insisted not to change his initial plea.
Mr Bala’s lawyer, James Ibor, had earlier tried to persuade his client to change his plea, but he insisted that he was guilty to charges.
The lawyer however cited frustration and fear as reasons for his client’s guilty plea, saying his client had been in prison for two years.
But Mr Bala raised his hand and told the court that he was guilty as charged.
In his plea of leniency, Mr Bala however said the intent of his social media posts was not to cause violence. He therefore promised not to repeat the blasphemous posts in future.
The judge is currently passing the sentence.
A Kano-born atheist, Mubarak Bala, has been sentenced to 24 years imprisonment after pleading guilty to all the 18-count charges bordering on incitement and breach of public peace leveled against him.
Today is Day 707 Bala was arrested.
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