Nigerian authorities have suspended all pilgrimages to Israel and the occupied West Bank with immediate effect, citing worsening security conditions amid the escalating Middle East conflict.
The decision was announced by the Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC), the federal body responsible for coordinating Christian pilgrimages. In a statement, the commission said the measure was taken to prioritise the “safety and comfort” of Nigerian pilgrims.
The suspension follows the rapid spread of hostilities across the region after joint US and Israeli strikes on Iran reportedly killed the country’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei. Iran has since launched retaliatory attacks on Israel and US-allied states in the Gulf, intensifying fears of a broader regional war.
Air travel across the Middle East has been severely disrupted, with multiple countries closing their airspace and cancelling flights, leaving thousands of passengers stranded.
Rev. John Hayab of the Christian Association of Nigeria told the BBC that about 600 Nigerian pilgrims who were in Israel and the West Bank at the onset of the conflict have since been evacuated. According to him, they were moved to Jordan before being safely returned to Nigeria.
