 Delivered on Tuesday, 3rd March 2026, Lagos
We give immortal praise to God Almighty for His unfailing faithfulness and for the gift of life. It is with a heart full of gratitude to God that I address you today on the successful completion of the 2025 Main Pilgrimage Exercise to Israel and Jordan, which was conducted seamlessly by His grace.
It will be recalled that the Commission officially flagged off the 2025 Main Pilgrimage on 29th December 2025 at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja. In a historic milestone, the Commission deployed, for the first time, a Boeing 777-300 aircraft with a seating capacity of 525, the largest aircraft ever operated in Nigeria for the airlift of Christian pilgrims to the Holy Land.
In the course of the exercise, the Commission successfully airlifted over 4,000 pilgrims to Israel and Jordan without incident.
Today, I am pleased to announce that the last batch of Christian pilgrims under the NCPC 2025 Main Pilgrimage Exercise arrived safely in Nigeria at 4:30 a.m. this morning, Tuesday, 3rd March 2026, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos. The arrival of this final batch officially marks the successful completion of the 2025 Main Pilgrimage Exercise.
It is important to state that the over 500 pilgrims who constituted the last batch returned safely and intact, without any incident. To God be all the glory.
At this juncture, I wish to express our profound appreciation to the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for his unwavering and unprecedented support for both Christian and Muslim pilgrimages in Nigeria. Without his steadfast support, the Commission would not have successfully conducted the five pilgrimage exercises undertaken since my appointment nearly two years ago.
Our gratitude also goes to the First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Her Excellency, Oluremi Tinubu, CON, whose invaluable encouragement and motherly support contributed significantly to the success of this exercise.
In the same vein, we acknowledge the consistent oversight and support of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, whose supervisory role has strengthened the Commission’s operations.
Distinguished members of the press, you are aware of the recent security developments in the Middle East, particularly the joint military action by the United States of America and Israel against Iran on Saturday, 28th February 2026. Following this development, Israeli authorities have imposed a state of emergency, restricting public gatherings and assemblies to safeguard lives and property.
In light of this situation, the Commission categorically states that the 2025 Main Pilgrimage Exercise concluded successfully on 3rd March 2026 with the safe return of all Nigerian pilgrims. We are, however, closely monitoring ongoing developments in Israel and the wider Middle East.
The safety, security, and comfort of Nigerian pilgrims remain our top and non-negotiable priority. Consequently, all pilgrimage activities of the Commission, including those of private pilgrimage operators, are hereby placed on hold until the security situation in Israel and the broader Middle East stabilises for safe international travel.
We sincerely appreciate all our stakeholders, including the media, for their cooperation, partnership, and support throughout the exercise.
Finally, we urge all lovers of peace to pray fervently for the peace of Jerusalem and lasting peace in the Middle East, to prevent any escalation that could result in humanitarian challenges in the region.
Thank you, and may God bless you all.
