The Pathfinder
Wednesday March 4, 2026
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The Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC) has suspended all pilgrimages to Israel and Jordan following rising security concerns in the Middle East.
The announcement was made on Tuesday in Lagos by the Executive Secretary of the Commission, Bishop Stephen Adegbite, during a media
briefing.
Bishop Adegbite cited recent escalations in the Middle East and the declaration of a state of emergency by Israeli authorities, amid pointing to restrictions on public gatherings and growing regional tensions as key reasons for the decision.
He stressed that the safety and comfort of Nigerian pilgrims remain a top priority and urged Nigerians to remain calm, emphasising that the conflict in the Middle East has no religious link to Nigeria.
The Bishop also confirmed the successful completion of the 2025 main pilgrimage exercise.
Bishop Adegbite revealed that the final batch of 525 Christian pilgrims arrived safely at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport at about 4:30 a.m. on Tuesday, while noting that the return of the last group officially marked the end of the 2025 pilgrimage.
According to him, all the pilgrims came back safely and without any incident throughout the exercise.
The pilgrimage began on December 29, 2025, with the first departure from the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja. In total, more than 4,000 Nigerians were airlifted to Israel and Jordan during the exercise.
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