Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: THE Nigerian authorities have suspended all pilgrimages to Israel and the occupied West Bank with immediate effect, citing security concerns linked to the escalating conflict in the Middle East.
The decision was announced by the Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC), the national body responsible for coordinating Christian pilgrimages. In a statement, the commission said the measure was necessary to prioritise the “safety and comfort” of Nigerian pilgrims. The conflict has spread across the Middle East following US and Israeli strikes on Iran. Iran has responded by launching attacks on Israel and USallied states in the Gulf.
Rev John Hayab from the Christian Association of Nigeria told the BBC that all of the Nigerian pilgrims in Israel and the West Bank – about 600 – had been evacuated to Jordan and then back to Nigeria since the conflict broke out. The suspension of Christian pilgrimages applies to all state-organised trips as well as those arranged by private tour operators. Officials said the ban would remain in place until the situation in the region stabilises. Thousands of Nigerian Christians go on pilgrimages each year to Biblical sites in Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Nazareth.
