JERUSALEM – The Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission, NCPC, has lifted the ban on Christian pilgrimage to Israel, three months after suspending the exercise over security concerns.
The Executive Secretary of NCPC, Bishop Prof. Stephen Adegbite, made the declaration at the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem on Saturday.
Bishop Adegbite said the ban, which was suspended in February 2026 following the outbreak of the US-Israel-Iran conflict, was lifted after a review of the security situation.
He explained that pilgrims from Nigeria will only be permitted to travel through the Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv. According to him, the Jordan route remains closed because “Jordan is not safe at the moment and the Commission cannot take that risk.”
The NCPC boss assured that all pilgrims who travelled earlier this year returned safely, and expressed confidence that the 2026 pilgrimage exercise would not be an exception.
Bishop Adegbite also led prayers for peace in Nigeria. He prayed for peace with President Bola Tinubu, the First Lady, and everyone in government. He also offered prayers for peace in the North East, North Central, North West, South South, South East and South West regions of the country.
The lifting of the ban is expected to pave the way for Nigerian Christians to resume pilgrimage to holy sites in Israel under the Commission’s 2026 exercise.
NCPC Lifts Ban On Christian Pilgrimage To Israel
