The Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC) has lifted the ban on Christian pilgrimage to Israel following an assessment of the security situation in the Holy Land.

​The Executive Secretary of the NCPC, Bishop Stephen Adegbite, announced the decision in a statement on Saturday in Abuja.

Adegbite who was at the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem, Israel,  said his declaration followed an on-the-spot assessment of the security atmosphere during his three-day visit to Jerusalem.

​”I promised everyone that I will be here to see what is happening in the Holy Land. I have been here in the last three days. The Holy Land is peaceful.

“Jerusalem is at peace and will continue to be at peace.

​”Consequently, the ban on Christian Pilgrimage from Nigeria to Israel is hereby lifted from today,” he said.

​He further revealled that under the new arrangement, Nigerian pilgrims would only be permitted to travel through the Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv.

​He said that pilgrimage routes through Jordan remained suspended due to ongoing security concerns in that territory.

​”Jordan is not safe at the moment, and the commission can not take that risk,” he added.

​Adegbite expressed confidence in the safety of Nigerian pilgrims, assuring that every prayer offered in the Holy Land would be answered.

​He reassured prospective pilgrims that the commission had maintained a record of safe returns from past exercises and that the 2026 exercise would be no exception.

​The NCPC helmsman also offered prayers for national unity, praying for peace for President Bola Tinubu, the First Lady, and government officials across all six geopolitical zones of Nigeria.

​The NCPC is the federal agency established to supervise and coordinate the movement of Nigerian Christian pilgrims to holy sites around the world, primarily in Israel, Jordan, and Rome.

The commission had in February, suspended pilgrimage activities to the region following the outbreak of the US-Israel-Iran conflict.

​Escalations stemming from the US-Israel-Iran conflict led to heightened security risks across the Middle Eas

This forced international flight disruptions and prompted several governments, including Nigeria, to temporarily halt religious pilgrimages to the region to protect citizens.

​The lifting of the ban marks the formal resumption of state-backed and private Christian pilgrimage operations from Nigeria to Tel Aviv for the remainder of the 2026 pilgrimage calendar

ABUJA – The Federal Government has filed a 10-count charge before the Federal High Court in Abuja against three men over their alleged involvement in the abduction of schoolchildren and teachers in Orire Local Government Area of Oyo State.

The defendants are Abdulrazak Umar (also known as Abu Khalifa/Abu Khalid), Yunusa Musa (also known as Yunusa bin Musa), and Shamsu Adamu Sani (also known as Abu Itisar), all said to be residents of Suleja Local Government Area of Niger State.

The charges, filed by the Federal Government, border on conspiracy, terrorism, kidnapping, concealment of terrorist activities, membership of a proscribed terrorist organisation, terrorist training, incitement through electronic communication, and illegal mining.

According to the charge, the three defendants allegedly conspired between January and May 2026 with three other suspects identified as Muhammad Sani, Jibril Mohammed and Ibrahim Khabab to kidnap schoolchildren and teachers in Orire Local Government Area of Oyo State.

The prosecution alleged that the defendants aided the commission of the kidnapping and provided support to the principal suspects, contrary to Sections 26(1), 26(2) and 26(3) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

The Federal Government further accused the defendants of concealing information regarding the identities and activities of the alleged masterminds despite having prior knowledge of the planned abduction and failing to report the information to relevant security agencies, contrary to Section 16(1) of the Terrorism Act.

In another count, the prosecution alleged that on or about June 2, 2026, the three defendants professed membership of Darul Salam, described in the charge as an affiliate of Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina Fi Biladis Sudan (Ansaru), a proscribed terrorist organisation in Nigeria. The alleged offence is said to contravene Section 25(1) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

The charge also contains separate allegations against the first defendant, Abdulrazak Umar.

According to the prosecution, Umar allegedly used a WhatsApp platform titled “The Oneness of Allah is the Foundation of Peace” to provide training and operational instructions to members of a terrorist group.

He was further accused of using the same platform to incite members through his teachings to commit acts of terrorism, contrary to Sections 15 and 2(2)(g) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, as well as Section 18 of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015.

In the final count, Umar was accused of engaging in unlawful gold mining at streams located within the Chaza area of Suleja Local Government Area, Niger State, between 2024 and 2026 without lawful authority, contrary to Section 8(b) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act.

The charge alleges that the illegal mining activities were carried out without the requisite legal authorisation.

A security source familiar with the investigation disclosed that the suspects are expected to be arraigned before the Federal High Court next week following the conclusion of investigations.

The source added that investigations are continuing in respect of other suspected collaborators.

“Others are still being probed as the Agency is insistent on diligent investigation,” the source said.

The case is expected to test the application of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, particularly in relation to conspiracy, support for terrorist organisations, concealment of terrorist activities, online incitement, and the prosecution of offences connected with terrorism financing and related criminal activities.

The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until their guilt is established by the court.

Abuja, Nigeria – Minister of Works, David Umahi, has dismissed allegations of foul play surrounding the death of Nurse Mary Habila, describing the claims as baseless and warning against what he called the politicisation of the tragic incident.

Speaking during a press conference in Abuja on Thursday, the minister said Habila, who had worked with him for about three years, was more than a staff member, describing her as “like a daughter” and expressing deep sadness over her death.

Umahi said he was troubled by attempts to link him to the incident simply because the nurse died within a residential facility associated with him.

“What baffles me in this country is that everything becomes an opportunity,” he said. “There is a guest house where she and another medical personnel stayed, and it is far from where I live. Does it mean that if, God forbid, someone dies in the Ministry of Works, the minister must automatically be held responsible?”

The former Ebonyi State governor cautioned those making allegations without evidence to be mindful of the emotional impact on the deceased’s family and the spiritual consequences of spreading false accusations.

“If we had any hand in her death, let it follow us and our families. But if we are innocent and people are using the unfortunate death of this young lady for politics, they should be careful,” he said.

Providing details about Habila’s final hours, Umahi explained that she had spoken with her boyfriend shortly before her death, complaining of bleeding from her nose. According to him, the boyfriend advised her to seek medical attention and ended the call after expressing concern that continued conversation might worsen the bleeding.

Umahi said the boyfriend attempted to call her back about three minutes later, but she did not answer.

He added that earlier that morning, Habila had informed her boyfriend that she intended to take a bath. When colleagues became concerned after she could not be reached, they discovered that her room was locked from the inside. The door was eventually forced open, and she was found unresponsive, with the bathroom tap reportedly still running.

The minister also disclosed that Habila was a nurse employed by a federal medical institution and not a physiotherapist, as had been reported in some quarters. He said she had a documented medical history at the Turkish Hospital, where, according to him, the cost of her treatment had been covered by his family.

Umahi described the relationship between his family and that of the deceased as very close, saying her passing had left those who knew her devastated.

Mary Habila was part of the medical team accompanying the minister to his hometown of Uburu in Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi State when she was found dead inside the residential compound.

Authorities are expected to continue investigations to determine the exact cause of her death.