Nigerian Atheist Freed from Psychiatric Hospital in Kano

Mubarak Bala, a Nigerian man who declared via social networking site Twitter that his family locked him up in a psychiatric hospital for coming out as an atheist, has been freed.

A humanist charity organization reveals he has been released.

The International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU), says that Mubarak Bala was released because of a doctors’ strike which has seen many patients discharged.

The 29-year-old chemical engineering graduate who goes by the name Ex Muslim, was held against his will for 18 days at the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital.

Mubarak does not plan to take legal actions and thanked everyone who helped him get out. “To those who have made threats against me, I urge you to reason and learn to tolerate opinions other than yours,” he is quoted as saying in the statement.