NCPC says Jerusalem is peaceful again as pilgrims cleared to travel through Ben Gurion International Airport.
The Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC) has lifted the suspension on Christian pilgrimage to Israel, paving the way for Nigerian pilgrims to resume visits to the Holy Land.
Executive Secretary of the Commission, Bishop Prof. Stephen Adegbite, announced the decision on Friday at the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem after assessing the security situation in Israel.
The suspension, imposed in February 2026 following the outbreak of the US-Israel-Iran conflict, was lifted after the Commission concluded that conditions in Jerusalem had improved.
“I promised everyone that I would come here to see what is happening in the Holy Land. I have been here for the last three days. The Holy Land is peaceful. Jerusalem is at peace and will continue to be at peace. The ban on Christian pilgrimage from Nigeria to Israel is hereby lifted from today,” Adegbite said.
In a statement by the Commission’s Director of Media and Public Relations, Celestine Toruka, the NCPC clarified that pilgrims will only be allowed to travel through Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv.
Adegbite explained that Jordan remains unsafe for pilgrimage operations, stressing that the Commission would not expose pilgrims to unnecessary risks.
He expressed confidence that the 2026 pilgrimage exercise would be successful, noting that all previous Nigerian pilgrims had returned safely from the Holy Land.
The NCPC boss also offered prayers for peace in Israel and Nigeria, praying for President Bola Tinubu, First Lady Oluremi Tinubu, the government, and lasting peace across the country’s six geopolitical zones.