Mubarak Bala, wanda aka fi sani da mai ra’ayin kafirci a Najeriya, ya sami ‘yanci bayan ya shafe fiye da shekaru hudu a gidan yari saboda zargin sabo. Bala, mai shekaru 40, an yanke masa hukunci a wata kotu a birnin Kano, inda ya amsa laifuka 18 da suka shafi wani rubutu da ya wallafa a shafinsa na Facebook a shekarar 2020.
“Damuwa game da amincina koyaushe yana nan,” in ji Bala ga BBC a wata hira ta musamman yayin da yake cin abincinsa na farko a matsayin mutum mai ‘yanci. Najeriya Æ™asa ce mai zurfin addini, kuma waÉ—anda ake zargin suna zagi addini – ko na Musulunci ko na Kiristanci – suna fuskantar wariya da kuma kauracewa.
Sabo laifi ne a Æ™arÆ™ashin shari’ar Musulunci (Shari'a), wadda ke aiki tare da dokokin Æ™asa a jihohi 12 na arewacin Najeriya. Hakanan laifi ne a Æ™arÆ™ashin dokokin laifuka na Najeriya. Bala, wanda ya yi watsi da Musulunci a shekarar 2014, ya ce akwai lokuta a lokacin da yake gidan yari da ya ji cewa “ba zai iya fita da rai ba.” Ya ji tsoron cewa ma’aikatan gidan yari ko wasu fursunoni na iya kai masa hari a gidan yarin farko da ya kasance a ciki, a Kano, wanda galibin mazaunansa Musulmai ne.
“‘Yanci yana nan, amma kuma akwai wani barazana da zan fuskanta,” in ji Bala. “Duk waÉ—annan shekarun, waÉ—annan barazanar, watakila suna nan a waje.” Da ba don wani alkali na kotun daukaka kara ba, da Bala zai iya zama a gidan yari na tsawon shekaru 24, amma alkali ya rage waÉ—annan shekaru zuwa 10, inda ya ce hukuncin ya wuce kima.
Lokacin da ya fita daga gidan yari a babban birnin Æ™asar, Abuja, Bala ya bayyana a matsayin mutum mai gajiyawa, amma mai farin ciki, sanye da rigar farar T-shirt, wando mai launin khaki da takalmi. Ya fito tare da lauyansa mai murmushi a gefensa. “Duk abin da ke cikina sabo ne. Duk abin da ke cikina sabo ne,” in ji Bala yayin da yake jin daÉ—in ‘yancin da ya samu.
Bala, wanda aka fi sani da mai sukar addini, an kama shi ne bayan wasu lauyoyi suka shigar da kara a kan rubutun da ya wallafa a shafin sada zumunta. Ya shafe shekaru biyu a gidan yari yana jiran shari’a kafin a yanke masa hukunci a shekarar 2022. A lokacin, amsa laifuka da Bala ya yi ya ba mutane mamaki, har ma lauyoyinsa, amma ya ci gaba da cewa shawarar da ya yanke ta sauÆ™aÆ™a waÉ—anda suka tsaya masa, ciki har da lauyoyinsa, abokansa da danginsa.
“Na yi imani cewa abin da na yi ya ceci rayuwata, amma kuma mutanen Kano,” in ji Bala. “Musamman waÉ—anda suka shiga cikin shari’ata, domin su ma suna cikin haÉ—ari.” Hukuncin da aka yanke masa ya haifar da suka daga Æ™ungiyoyin kare hakkin bil’adama na Æ™asashen waje, kuma ya haifar da muhawara game da ‘yancin faÉ—ar albarkacin baki a Najeriya.
Leo Igwe, wanda ya kafa Æ™ungiyar Humanist Association of Nigeria, ya ce, “Na gode, amma ba na gode ba. Na gode, domin ya sami ‘yanci, amma ba na gode ba, domin akwai wani tabo a kansa kamar ya aikata wani laifi. A gare mu a Æ™ungiyar Humanist, bai aikata wani laifi ba.”
Game da Bala, yana da sha’awar cimma abubuwan da ya rasa, ciki har da sanin É—ansa Æ™arami wanda yake da watanni shida kacal lokacin da aka daure shi. Amma ya ce ba shi da nadama. “Ayyukana na fafutuka, rubutuna na shafukan sada zumunta, koyaushe na san mafi munin abin da zai iya faruwa. Lokacin da na yanke shawarar fitowa, na san za a iya kashe ni. Na san haÉ—arin, amma na yanke shawarar yin hakan.”
