A Nigerian man was committed to a mental hospital after declaring himself an atheist, according to the International Humanist and Ethical Union. Using what he says are smartphones obtained from others at the hospital, Mubarak Bala, 29, has apparently been tweeting and secretly emailing activists for help since he was committed to the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital on June 13. Bala has tweeted — using the name "ExMuslim" — that his devoutly Muslim family had him "declared insane" and put in what he refers to as a "psycho ward" because of his atheist beliefs.

The hospital said in a statement that Bala required supervised treatment and was "comfortable and conscious," the BBC reports. A Change.org petition calling for Bala's release currently has more than 4,000 signatures.

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@2:30Am local time, still atheist, still sane, in a psycho hospital, unbroken, a staff risked his phone for me, mine's caught and seized. — ExMuslim (@mubarakbala) June 21, 2014

My new psycho-brothers, in the dungeon. Haven't slept due to pills messing my brain. pic.twitter.com/oRJ9z0C9Lu — ExMuslim (@mubarakbala) June 16, 2014

@AgnosticMuvment the doctor told me, 'my dear every living soul need a God, just take some drugs and be normal like everyone else' — ExMuslim (@mubarakbala) June 16, 2014

"@scottscttwtsn: Have you thought about faking it to get out? Then escaping?" I did. I had to, inmates could lynch me if I blaspheme here. — ExMuslim (@mubarakbala) June 21, 2014

--Jillian Sederholm