Middle East war: NCPC lifts ban on Christian pilgrimage to Israel ​

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The Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC) has lifted the ban on Christian pilgrimage to Israel following an assessment of the security situation in the Holy Land.

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​The Executive Secretary of the NCPC, Bishop Stephen Adegbite, announced the decision in a statement on Saturday in Abuja.

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Adegbite was at the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem, Israel.

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​The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the commission had in February suspended pilgrimage activities to the region following the outbreak of the US-Israel-Iran conflict.

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​Adegbite said his declaration followed an on-the-spot assessment of the security atmosphere during his three-day visit to Jerusalem.

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​”I promised everyone that I will be here to see what is happening in the Holy Land. I have been here in the last three days. The Holy Land is peaceful.

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“Jerusalem is at peace and will continue to be at peace.

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​”Consequently, the ban on Christian Pilgrimage from Nigeria to Israel is hereby lifted from today,” he said.

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​The NCPC boss said that under the new arrangement, Nigerian pilgrims would only be permitted to travel through the Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv.

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​He said that pilgrimage routes through Jordan remained suspended due to ongoing security concerns in that territory.

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​”Jordan is not safe at the moment, and the commission can not take that risk,” he added.

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​Adegbite expressed confidence in the safety of Nigerian pilgrims, assuring that every prayer offered in the Holy Land would be answered.

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​He reassured prospective pilgrims that the commission had maintained a record of safe returns from past exercises and that the 2026 exercise would be no exception.

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​The NCPC helmsman also offered prayers for national unity, praying for peace for President Bola Tinubu, the First Lady, and government officials across all six geopolitical zones of Nigeria.

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​The NCPC is the federal agency established to supervise and coordinate the movement of Nigerian Christian pilgrims to holy sites around the world, primarily in Israel, Jordan, and Rome.

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​In February, escalations stemming from the US-Israel-Iran conflict led to heightened security risks across the Middle East.

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This forced international flight disruptions and prompted several governments, including Nigeria, to temporarily halt religious pilgrimages to the region to protect citizens.

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​The lifting of the ban marks the formal resumption of state-backed and private Christian pilgrimage operations from Nigeria to Tel Aviv for the remainder of the 2026 pilgrimage calendar.

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(NAN)

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