The Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC) has airlifted no fewer than 300 intending Christian pilgrims from Cross River, Ondo, and Ebonyi from the Victor Attah International Airport to Israel and Jordan.

The executive secretary of NCPC, Yakubu Pam, while addressing the intending pilgrims on Friday night, cautioned them against absconding during the pilgrimage.

Mr Pam warned that any offender would be made to face the wrath of the law through imprisonment, including the guarantor.

He said the pilgrims should consider the journey as purely spiritual and pray for the unity of the country.

He further admonished the intending pilgrims to be good ambassadors of Nigeria and conduct themselves decently while on the pilgrimage.

Mr Pam thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for enabling NCPC to take the pilgrims to the holy lands.

“I’m also here to appreciate the governors of the south-south, this time around, from the numbers of states that have paid for pilgrims to travel from the South-South, I am proud of the South-South as a zone,” he said.

The NCPC boss noted that Nigeria was going into the election, a critical moment for the country, as it was about its survival and continuity as a sovereign nation.

”This is the moment we need to go and pray, knock at the heavens, and the moment we need to tell God that this country will never be down. Rather this election will  prove the time to rise to make our children and the next generation believe in us.

“We will continue to do our normal duty by making sure that pilgrims move from now up to when the election will take place, and the purpose of it all more is praying for the country,” Mr Pam said.

One of the intending pilgrims from Ondo,  Raphael Agbola, told journalists that he intended to pray for the betterment of the nation.

Mr Agbola urged Nigerians to live a good life, put their trust in God and follow his commandments to achieve great results for the country’s growth. 

(NAN)