Nigeria halts Christian pilgrimages to Holy Land over Middle East conflict

Nigerian authorities have suspended all pilgrimages to Israel and the occupied West Bank with immediate effect, citing security concerns linked to the escalating conflict in the Middle East.

The decision was announced by the Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC), the national body responsible for coordinating Christian pilgrimages.

In a statement, the commission said the measure was necessary to prioritise the "safety and comfort" of Nigerian pilgrims.

The conflict has spread across the Middle East following US and Israeli strikes on Iran, which killed the country's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iran has responded by launching attacks on Israel and US-allied states in the Gulf.

Many flights to the Middle East have been cancelled, as countries across the region have shut their airspace, leaving passengers stranded.

Thousands of Nigerian Christians go on pilgrimages each year to Biblical sites in Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Nazareth. The journeys, often subsidised or coordinated by state governments, are a significant part of Nigeria's religious calendar.

Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation, is home to a large Christian population, particularly in the south of the country. The pilgrimages are widely regarded as being spiritually significant, with many saving for years to make the trip.

Easter, which falls in a month, is one of the most popular times for Christians to go to Israel and the West Bank.

Many Nigerian Muslims trying to get to the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia for the Umrah, also known as the "lesser" pilgrimage, have also been affected by the cancellation of flights to the region.

Unlike the Hajj, which has fixed dates once a year, the Umrah can be performed at any time and involves a shorter set of religious rites.

Alhaji Zaharaddeen Abubakar is one of those stranded in the northern Nigerian city of Kano after buying plane tickets and securing accommodation in Mecca.

"I wish to be there too but I can't at the moment. I'm still hoping."

Alhaji Musa Rabi'u Muhammed, head of the Murna travel agency in Kano State, told the BBC: "Some of our people had even boarded planes ready for take-off, but they had to be brought back down, and now they are at home."

Additional reporting from BBC Hausa's Badamasi Mukhtar