Soyinka Addresses Meeting President Tinubu Amid Mubarak Bala’s Situation

Wole Soyinka, the distinguished Nobel Laureate and respected statesman, has clarified that he has not yet had the opportunity to meet with President Bola Tinubu.

Therefore, he could not have addressed the matter concerning the detained atheist Mubarak Bala during their supposed meeting.

Mubarak Bala is currently serving a 24-year prison sentence for blasphemy against Prophet Muhammad.

As the president of the Humanist Association of Nigeria, he renounced his Islamic faith back in 2014. In 2022, a Kano State High Court found him guilty of blasphemy, leading to his imprisonment.

During the recent launch of “A Letter to a President,” Soyinka had expressed his commitment to delivering Bala’s open letter to the president when the opportunity arose.

However, in a statement issued on Tuesday, the professor clarified that he has not yet met with Tinubu, which is why the letter has not been delivered.

Soyinka explained that he has received numerous inquiries from local and international human rights organizations about the outcome of delivering the letter to the president. He regretfully acknowledged that some media outlets have misreported the situation.

He stated, “I regret to state that some media have completely misreported this, and I have yet to meet the current tenant of Aso Rock.”

He urged all those who were part of the document’s launch on August 5 and supporters of Mubarak Bala to persist and even amplify their efforts through various channels to secure the release of the unjustly persecuted individual.

Bala’s only “crime” was to stand firm for his freedom of thought, belief, and expression…[CONTINUE READING HERE]>>