Nigerians in M’East send distress calls as govt halts pilgrimage
Escalating hostilities in the Middle East have sent shockwaves through Nigeria, grounding pilgrimages, disrupting travel plans, rattling the oil market and prompting anxious calls from Nigerians abroad. Besides, some members
- Pilgrims stuck in Lagos
Escalating hostilities in the Middle East have sent shockwaves through Nigeria, grounding pilgrimages, disrupting travel plans, rattling the oil market and prompting anxious calls from Nigerians abroad.
Besides, some members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) - the Iran-inspired Shiite organisation founded in the late 1970s by Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky - have been staging protests in solidarity with the Iranians in some parts of the country, such as Kano, Kaduna and Lagos.
The Iranians, under attack from the United States (U.S.) and Israel because of a long-running disagreement over Iran’s nuclear enrichment programme, have been firing retaliatory missiles at Israel and other countries sympathetic to the U.S. in the Gulf region, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan, among others.
So far, Iran’s spiritual leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, his family members and more than 700 citizens have died.
Nine people have died, and others have been injured in Israel, while the U.S. has lost three soldiers.
Many Nigerians have been making distress calls home, seeking support and rescue, according to the Nigeria in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM).
Yesterday, the Federal Government, through the Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC), announced the immediate suspension of all pilgrimages to Israel, citing the deteriorating security situation in the region.
Executive Secretary of the Commission, Bishop Stephen Adegbite, said in a statement signed by the Deputy Director and Head of Media and Public Relations, Celestine Toruka, that the decision followed recent developments, including the imposition of a state of emergency in Israel.
“The recent developments in the Middle East have led to the putting on hold of all pilgrimage exercises to Israel.
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“This also includes those being conducted by private pilgrimage operators until the situation normalises,” he said.
Adegbite stressed that the safety and comfort of Nigerian pilgrims remained the Commission’s top priority.
He added that the NCPC was closely monitoring events and appreciated the cooperation of stakeholders and the media.
He urged Nigerians to pray for peace in Jerusalem and the wider Middle East.
The suspension comes just after the Commission concluded its 2025 Main Pilgrimage to Israel and Jordan, with the last batch of pilgrims arriving safely at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, on March 3.
Adegbite noted that five pilgrimages had been successfully conducted in the past two years.
Distress calls from abroad
As bombing continued in the Middle East, NiDCOM confirmed receiving distress enquiries from Nigerians in parts of the Gulf.
In a statement, its spokesman Abdur-Rahman Balogun clarified that, contrary to reports suggesting otherwise, the Commission had indeed received calls from Nigerians in Qatar, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Iran.
According to him, the callers were seeking information on possible evacuation plans should the crisis worsen.
He assured Nigerians that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was working with relevant agencies and urged those in affected countries to adhere strictly to official travel advisories and contact emergency numbers provided by Nigerian missions.
“Nigerians in affected countries should be assured that the Federal Government is monitoring the situation and will take necessary steps to ensure that no Nigerian life is endangered,” he said.
Over the weekend, the UAE, Qatar, Iran, Israel, Iraq, Kuwait and Syria closed portions of their airspace following escalating air strikes, forcing flights to reroute and increasing operational costs for airlines.
Aviation revenue at risk
The airspace closures have also raised concerns within Nigeria’s aviation sector.
National President of the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Comrade Ben Nnabue, warned that the disruption of flights from parts of the Middle East could negatively impact airport revenue and the broader economy.
He said many Nigerians were stranded in Dubai, Qatar and other locations due to altered flight frequencies and cancellations.
“When airlines adjust or suspend frequencies, it affects our projections and airport revenue.
“Aviation is a global village; what happens in one region affects others,” Nnabue said.
He expressed hope that peace would soon return to enable normal travel and commercial activities.
He noted that rerouted flights would incur additional fuel and operational costs, compounding financial pressures on airlines and airports.
