Just IN :NCPC Reopens Israel Pilgrimage, Lifts Travel Ban

The Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC) has officially lifted the ban on Christian pilgrimage to Israel, months after it was suspended due to security concerns arising from the US-Israel-Iran conflict.

The announcement was made by the Executive Secretary of the Commission, Bishop Prof. Stephen Adegbite, at the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem on August 1, 2026. The development was contained in a statement issued by the Commission’s Director of Media and Public Relations, Celestine Toruka.
The Commission had suspended pilgrimages to Israel in February this year following the outbreak of the US-Israel-Iran conflict. Speaking during his visit to Jerusalem, Bishop Adegbite said he had spent the last three days assessing the situation in the Holy Land and was satisfied that the area is peaceful.
“I promised everyone that I will be here to see what is happening in the Holy Land. I have been here in the last three days. The Holy Land is peaceful. Jerusalem is at peace and will continue to be at peace,” he said.
Consequently, the NCPC boss announced that “the ban on Christian Pilgrimage from Nigeria to Israel is hereby lifted from today.”
He explained that the lifting of the ban allows Nigerian pilgrims to travel only through the Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv, noting that Jordan is still considered unsafe and the Commission is unwilling to expose pilgrims to any risk.
Bishop Adegbite also described Jerusalem as a chosen nation, expressing confidence that everyone who visits the Promised Land will be blessed and that prayers offered in Jerusalem will be answered.
He further assured intending pilgrims that all previous pilgrimage exercises had ended safely and expressed optimism that the 2026 pilgrimage would not be different, stressing that “the Lord has always been our shield and buckler.”
The Executive Secretary also offered prayers for peace in Nigeria, praying for President Bola Tinubu, the First Lady, government officials, and lasting peace across the North East, North Central, North West, South South, South East, and South West regions of the country.