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The Nigeria Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC) will flag off its first Christian Pilgrimage Exercise to Israel for the first time ever from the Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano.
The event is scheduled for Thursday, 18th May, 2017 at the Aminu Kano International Airport.
The Executive Secretary, Rev. Tor Uja who will perform the flag off ceremony has explained that all the 130 intending Christian pilgrims flying from Kano are from Borno state. While commending the Executive Governor of Borno State, His Excellency, Alhaji Kashim Shettima for his pilgrimage support for Christians in Borno state, added that this is one of the steps to healing for a people that have been ravaged by unnecessary war.
He praised Governor Shettima for remaining focused, committed and purposeful despite the years of security challenges that his State in particular and the North East in general have gone through in the past couple of years, praying that God will bring all these crisis to an end.
The Commission formally commenced the airlift of intending Christian pilgrims for the Easter pilgrimage exercise on 9th May, 2017, at the Lagos International Airport. The first batch of Christian Pilgrims are expected to arrive Nigeria on 18th May from Israel.
In addition to the Borno Pilgrims, the flight of 18th May from Kano will also include intending Christian Pilgrims from FCT, Kano, Niger, Kaduna, Nasarawa, Enugu and Gombe who will be flown from Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja to join the Borno contingents in Aminu Kano International Airport for onward departure to Israel.
The Commission plans to have about four flights for the ongoing Easter pilgrimage to Israel which also include one Rome bound flight. In all, about 1000 pilgrims will be airlifted to Israel for this year’s Easter pilgrimage exercise and out of this number, about 200 of them will be visiting Rome before proceeding to Israel to continue their pilgrimage exercise.
The Executive Secretary also stated that the Commission would not compromise on the welfare of the pilgrims as everything needed to be done has been arranged by the Commission in collaboration with the Ground Handlers in Israel.
