IMO, Nigeria – An Igno man from Nigeria’s Southeast state of Imo converted to Islam on Saturday, May 19, after a ceremony held in the city’s Islamic center.
Accepting Islam in Imo’s state central mosque Owerri, the new convert, identified as Emmanuel Acholonu, now goes as Muhammad Mustapha Acholonu, Nigerian Bulletin reported.
Nigeria, one of the world’s most religiously committed nations, is religiously polarized with the northern part being Muslim-majority, whereas the south is mainly Christian.
But Muslims and Christians, who constitute 55 and 40 percent of Nigeria’s almost 196 million population respectively, have lived in peace for the most part.
In November 2013, eighteen Igbo men from Nigeria’s mainly Christian southeast region embraced Islam at the National Mosque Abuja, in Nigeria’s capital.
A Christian monarch and a daughter of a pastor had earlier in 2013 reverted to Islam, the latter drawing widespread controversy over claims that she was hypnotized by a Muslim monarch in the country’s north-central city Bida, Niger state.
The Pastor’s daughter, Aisha, denied being hypnotized, insisting her choice of Islam was strictly a personal decision driven by conducts of Muslims around her.