…Decries massacre in Benue
The Executive Secretary, Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC), has addressed reports claiming that Nigerian pilgrims were currently in Israel for pilgrimage activities.
Bishop Adegbite made the clarification in a press statement released Tuesday in Abuja by the Commission’s Head of Media and Public Relations, Celestine Toruka.
According to the NCPC boss, no Nigerian Christian pilgrims are in Israel, as the Commission’s 2024 main pilgrimage exercise to Israel and Jordan was concluded in March 2025.
The statement read in part, “Given the ongoing tensions between Israel and Iran, which escalated on June 13, 2025, I wish to clarify that no Christian pilgrimage will occur in Israel until the crisis is resolved. The Commission is closely monitoring the situation.
“Reports earlier circulated that Nigerian pilgrims in Israel are false and unfounded. Let it be known that the NCPC is the statutory body responsible for coordinating Christian pilgrimages from Nigeria to Israel and other Holy Sites worldwide.”
In another development, the NCPC boss has condemned the recent killings in Benue state, describing them as “inhuman and callous.”
He expressed concerns over the precarious situation in Benue, where the killings continue unabated, emphasising that such acts against humanity “cannot be allowed to persist.”
“I strongly condemn this dastardly act by the perpetrators of these heinous crimes against humanity. Justice must prevail at this time to serve as a deterrent to others and to forestall future occurrences,” he said.
Bishop Adegbite extended condolences to the government and good people of the state, as well as to the families of the victims, praying that the “souls of the departed rest in peace” and that their families found the strength to bear their losses.
He urged security agencies to intensify efforts to apprehend those behind the massacre and ensure that they faced the consequences of their actions.