Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umar Bago, has appealed to Christians in the state to exercise patience regarding the yearly pilgrimage to Israel due to the lack of peace in the Holy Land.
Governor Bago, who made this statement at the 2024 State Christmas Carol organised by the Niger State Government in conjunction with the state chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, at the Justice Legbo Kutigi International Conference Hall in Minna, said that allowing pilgrims to travel there would be equivalent to signing their death warrants.
Bago, represented by the Deputy Speaker of the Niger State House of Assembly, Afiniki Dauda, noted that the current challenges in the Middle East, particularly in Israel, pose a significant threat to the safety of pilgrims.
He emphasised that the governor cannot, in good conscience, authorise a trip that would put the lives of Christian pilgrims at risk.
“I am not willing to give tickets that would lead to the death of our Christian brothers and sisters,” he said.
“I urge them to be patient and wait until peace returns to the Middle East. The safety of our citizens is paramount, and we will not compromise on that,” he added.
Earlier, in his message, the chairman of the Niger State chapter of CAN, Most Rev Dr Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, had called on Governor Mohammed Bago to consider Christians for holy pilgrimage in the state.
He stated: “I want to take this opportunity to appeal to Your Excellency to consider pilgrimage to Jordan/Israel, Turkey/Jordan, and Rome or Greece, as there is an opportunity at the Federal level for intending pilgrims.”
The CAN chairman urged Christians in the state to continue to pray for the governor while appealing to them to show love and share with others.
