BREAKING:Israel Pilgrimage Ban Lifted as NCPC Declares Holy Land Peaceful

The Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC) has officially lifted the suspension on Christian pilgrimage to Israel, allowing Nigerian pilgrims to resume visits to the Holy Land.

The Executive Secretary of the Commission, Bishop Prof. Stephen Adegbite, announced the decision at the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem on Friday, August 1, 2026. The pilgrimage was suspended in February following the outbreak of the US-Israel-Iran conflict.
Speaking after spending three days in Israel, Bishop Adegbite said the security situation in the Holy Land had improved. “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, before declaring that the ban on Christian pilgrimage from Nigeria to Israel was lifted with immediate effect.
He explained that Nigerian pilgrims would now be permitted to travel only through Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv, noting that Jordan remains unsafe for pilgrimage routes at the moment. The NCPC boss also expressed confidence in the safety of the pilgrimage exercise, stating that all previous pilgrims had returned safely and that the 2026 exercise would not be an exception. He concluded by offering prayers for peace in Israel, Nigeria, President Bola Tinubu, the First Lady, the Federal Government, and all six geopolitical zones of the country.