Nigeria has assured the State of Israel that no Pilgrim to Israel will abscond during the 2025 pilgrimage exercise.
The Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC), Bishop Stephen Adegbite, made the commitment in a statement after leading a delegation comprising of members of the House of Representatives and ground handlers to the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs for a bilateral meeting.
The statement containing NCPC position was signed by Mr Celestine Toruka (Deputy Director and Head Media and Public Relations, NCPC) and made available to journalists on Tuesday in Abuja.
Adegbite explained that the meeting which held at the Ministry’s headquarters in Jerusalem focused on strengthening Nigeria’s bilateral relations with Israel.
“I am assuring that the Commission will maintain zero abscondment of Nigerian pilgrims in Israel and uphold transparency in its dealings.”
He expressed gratitude for the Ministry’s cooperation in ensuring a safe and secure environment for Nigerian pilgrims and highlighted the unprecedented participation of about 100 House of Representatives members in the Executive Pilgrimage.
He also expressed optimism that the initiative would become a recurring event.
Responding, Tania Berg-Rafaeli, Director of the West and Central Africa Division at Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, commended the NCPC boss for his visionary leadership and quality guidance.
She praised Nigerian pilgrims for their good conduct and promised to collaborate with the Nigerian Embassy in Israel and NCPC to foster robust bilateral relations.
Berg-Rafaeti also hinted of a possible Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) between the two nations.
