By Abdul Jelil Adebayo
It was January 9, 2026 when 525 Pilgrims left Nnamdi Azikiwe International airport, Abuja en route to Israel through Jordan.
The chairman of the board of Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission NCPC, Rt Rev Prof Cletus T. Gotan with six other board members led this second batch of Pilgrims to the Holy Land.
Pilgrims from Borno, Bauchi, Lagos and Consulars were on board the aircraft.
👆At River Jordan where Jesus was baptized
Bishop (Prof.) Stephen Adegbite, Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC), told the Pilgrims that pilgrimage is not tourism, and the certificates given after the visit should not be seen as souvenirs.
“You are not just JP holders; you are Jesus people.”
Adegbite, who spoke with the cadence of a pastor and the urgency of a public servant, through virtual gave thanks for what he described as a hitch-free pilgrimage, noting that no negative incident was recorded throughout the exercise.
He reminded the Pilgrims that “You have walked where Jesus walked; now go back and live what you have learned for the good of Nigeria and the glory of God,”
What they bring back according to, Adegbite must be more than photographs and certificates: it must be a renewed commitment to moral renewal, national unity and godly living.
He urged the pilgrims to translate spiritual encounters into ethical living, civic responsibility and national service.
He conveyed the goodwill of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the First Lady, the Vice President and the NCPC Board, stressing that the Federal Government remains proud of the conduct and comportment of Nigerian pilgrims abroad.
Meanwhile, Pilgrimage has three types of people that go to the Holy Lands. The first group are those who want to see the holy sites and are satisfied that they participated on the journey.
The second group are those who go shopping and are ready to buy anything that is buyable in the Holy Land.
And the third group that Adegbite is expecting every Pilgrim to be, are those who go for spiritual encounters.
Unfortunately though, the first two groups usually have greater numbers than the third group.
And between the first two groups are those who are ready to japa, or abscond from the Holy Land. No matter the plan put in place, some have made up their minds that they must abscond. But thank God for the Bishop Adegbite management, the number has reduced to the barest minimum in his tenure. For now the number has greatly reduced.
The second batch had a turbulent time with the weather. The cold was extreme in spite of the clothing by the Pilgrims.
The first port of call was Mount Nebo where Moses walked 40 yrs between Jordan, Palestine Egypt and was showed the promised land which he could not enter. He died on this mountain and was buried by God.
Thereafter the Pilgrims went to Machaerus as those who had the strength walked to the top of the mountain to behold the ruins of the palace of king Herod and the dungeon where John the Baptist was kept before he was beheaded.
Not far off was the Dead Sea which is 430m below the sea level.
There was the wailing wall where the three religious faithful of Christians, Judaism and Moslem converge to present their supplication to God.
And not too far from the wailing wall was the garden where Jesus was betrayed with a kiss by Judas Iscariot; arrested and taken through the Golden gate for trial before Pontius Pilate.
Visit was to the empty grave where Jesus was buried, then movement to the tomb of David.
Moving forward was the house of Mary the mother of Jesus and where Peter mother in law was healed.
And thereafter was the shepherds cave where the Angel announced the birth of Jesus the King of the Jews.
And also a visit to Jordan where Jesus was baptized. And also where Jesus was tempted by the devil. The journey to the mountain was by cable cars.
The marriage feast where Jesus turned water into wine was another site visited.
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Thereafter the next day, the visit was to Mount Carmel – meaning Vineyard of God. The place where Elijah defeated the prophets of Baal (god of rain).
Now at the *Mount of Transfiguration* (Mount Tabor)
Mount Tabor completes the triangle of
• Mount Nebo – west of Tabor (Moses seeing the promised land)
• Mount Carmel – east of Tabor (Elijah killing the false prophets of Baal.)
And the last visited area was the Cave of Elisha which was a day to departure back to Nigeria.
In the meantime, the Chairman, board of Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission, NCPC, Rt Rev Prof Cletus T. Gotta recalled that for the past 10 days, the Pilgrims have been walking where Jesus walked, praying where He prayed, and touching – by faith – the very soil that carries the memory of our salvation.
“You did not come here as tourists, but as pilgrims – men and women seeking renewal, grace, and deeper communion with God.”
While distributing certificates of participation to the Pilgrims, he enjoined them to remember that the true certificate of pilgrimage “is not the paper you hold in your hands, but the conversion God has begun in your hearts.
According to him, “Some of you have already prayed at Bethlehem, where humility was born in a manger. You have stood at Nazareth, where obedience shaped the destiny of the world. You have walked the streets of Jerusalem, where love was tested on the Cross and crowned with victory at the empty tomb. These holy places have preached to you without words. They now send you forth with a mission.
I am sure that having experienced how the people here allowed hard work and the fear of God to make them work together and collectively achieve what we have seen, and are seeing as we follow the footsteps of the Lord here these days, we are returning home as mentally changed and spiritual recharged people who will be a leaven among our people for a positive change and performance in our own blessed nation which is variously endowed.”
According to Rt Rev Gotan, Nigeria needs returning pilgrims, not returning sightseers.
“Our nation longs for Christians whose faith is deepened, whose conscience is sharpened, and whose love is enlarged. Let the Jordan river remind you to renew your baptismal promises daily. Let Calvary teach you forgiveness in a land wounded by division. Let the Resurrection embolden you to hope, even when insecurity, poverty, corruption, and despair seem overwhelming.”
“You came from different cultures, languages, and ecclesial traditions, yet here you prayed as one Body in Christ. Carry this unity back home. Be bridges of peace in your families, church congregations, workplaces, and communities. Let your pilgrimage heal prejudices, soften hardened hearts, and inspire collaboration for the common good. This pilgrimage is not an end; it is a beginning.
“You are now ambassadors of the Holy Land in Nigeria. Let your lives become living Gospel pages – readable by the poor, the young, the discouraged, and the searching.
As you receive your certificates today, may God also confer upon you a deeper faith, a stronger hope, and a more generous love. May the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God who revealed Himself fully in Jesus Christ in this land, go with you back to Nigeria.
“In a special way, we commend and thank all the over 500 pilgrims drawn from different States of the Federation. Your discipline, cooperation, and obedience to guidelines made our work easier and the pilgrimage more rewarding. We are particularly grateful that your exemplary conduct has led to a drastic reduction in cases of abscondment, reflecting maturity of faith, national responsibility, and trust in the pilgrimage process.
“This cooperation stands as a strong testimony to Nigerian Christians and will encourage greater confidence in future pilgrimages.
“Go home renewed.
Go home committed.
Go home and bear fruit that will last.” he counselled.
At about 9pm, January 19, the plane landed with the Pilgrims shouting praises to God and appreciation to President Bola Tinubu for a successful pilgrimage. To God be the glory.
Abdul, a journalist, wrote in from Abuja via abduljelil2001@gmail.com