The Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Christian Pilgrims Commission, Reverend Yakubu Pam, has assured intending consular and self-sponsored pilgrims that their safety remained a “top priority of the Commission”.

This was disclosed in a statement signed by NCPC’s Head of Media and Public Relations, Celestine Toruka, and obtained by our correspondent, on Monday.

Pam, who was speaking at an orientation programme for the intending pilgrims for the last batch of the Easter pilgrimage completion exercise to Israel and Jordan, said the fifth batch of pilgrims who had recently undergone the same exercise, had successfully crossed over to Amman, Jordan and will arrive in Nigeria today, October 9, 2023.

Addressing the security situation in Israel, the NCPC boss stated that the “current fragile security situation in Israel is majorly being felt in Southern Israel, which is not within our pilgrimage circle”.

Pam reassured the pilgrims, that their safety “is of paramount concern to the Commission”, while disclosing that their journey would commence on the 10th of October 2023, and would arrive in Amman, Jordan on the 11th, where they would spend four days, before proceeding to Israel, “depending on the security situation by then”.

He further expressed optimism that the crisis in Israel would soon deescalate and would allow the last batch of pilgrims to visit Israel from Jordan.

The Commission cautioned the intending pilgrims to desist from any negative tendencies that would affect the completion of their pilgrims’ exercise. “The Commission will not hesitate to deport any pilgrim who plans to abscond during pilgrimage”, Pam warned.