₦airaland Forum

Five Christian pilgrims from Plateau State were denied entry into Israel after arriving safely in Jordan.

The five are part of the first batch of 295 pilgrims from the state participating in the 2026 Holy Land pilgrimage.

They received visas valid only for Jordan and were stopped at the border from crossing into Israel the primary destination for Christians seeking sites linked to Jesus’ birth, life, ministry, death, and resurrection.

Rev. Wanson Yusufu Bagu, Executive Secretary of the Plateau State Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board, told our correspondent on Thursday that the full visa list arrived very late last week Friday afternoon, just before the Saturday orientation and farewell event.

“We could not resolve any issues due to the extremely short notice,” Rev. Bagu explained.

“I later discovered that some pilgrims had been issued visas only for Jordan and were denied entry to Israel. "

"Had we known earlier, we could have informed them in time, allowing them the option to either stay in Jordan or cancel their trip entirely.”

,"The news came as a major disappointment for Christians, Israel is where Jesus was born, where he taught, performed miracles, and fulfilled what we read in the Bible,” Rev. Bagu said.

“To prepare spiritually and financially, only to be told at the last minute that you cannot enter is very painful and unexpected.”

He noted that visa denials are not uncommon. “Even wealthy individuals get denied visas for the UK or USA and often have to reapply sometimes multiple times before succeeding.

"It is a normal occurrence in international travel."

According to Rev. Bagu, the Israeli embassy had already informed Jordanian authorities about the denials.

"As a result, the five pilgrims are not stranded as Jordanian officials have arranged good hotel accommodation, meals for their entire stay, dedicated cars with drivers, and tour guides. "

They will visit significant biblical and historical sites in Jordan and remain engaged in meaningful activities until the rest of the group completes their Israel programme and return.

The entire batch will then fly home together from Jordan .

The first batch was originally planned for 300 pilgrims, but 295 eventually travelled.

The Board has scheduled three batches in total, It forwarded 466 names to the Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC) for the second batch, with at least 350 expected to depart on March 5, 2026.

The third batch will also include at least 350 pilgrims, though the date is yet to be confirmed.


In total, the state requested approximately 1,100 slots, plus 13 carried over from the previous year, bringing the figure to nearly 1,120.

So far, around 800 people have been screened he added.


Addressing rumours of inflated costs, Rev. Bagu clarified that the state has not increased its sponsorship amount.

"The rise in overall expenses is due to exchange rate fluctuations a situation previously experienced with the Muslim Hajj. "

Bagu added that the federal government provided funding to the NCPC to cover two years of pilgrimages.

" The Board’s total budget for the programme does not exceed ₦4 billion, and claims of over ₦7 billion being spent are inaccurate."

"At the send-off ceremony, Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang (represented by his Deputy, Josephine Piyo) urged the pilgrims to conduct themselves as worthy ambassadors of Plateau State and Nigeria. "

He encouraged them to pray fervently for the nation, the state, and its leader.

Bagu also reminded Christians of the biblical instruction to pray for those in authority rather than merely criticize them.

ChiefOloye:
Good idea. They were mere tourists to Israel in the first place

Josepholome:
https://www.vanguardngr.com/2026/02/5-plateau-pilgrims-denied-israel-entry-now-touring-jordan/

Freetech:
What did they go and do In Jordan when their destination is Israel?

Israel is in the midst of terrible jihadist and terrorist they must be security conscious.

oluwaseyi0:
Lol

Going to do what exactly
Excursion?

SkyBizzy:
Good for them .
Waste of funds.

They just want to go, return and get the title JP.

Majority of Christians who practise Christianity, are so W!cked and mean

Freedom4us:
Not as bad as majority of moslems who want to bl*w everyone up
Islam is so mean that most moslems dont want to go to moslem countries.

I mean look nija, the sharia states are backwards

Houseofglam7:
All of their travel documents and itineraries were not properly reviewed before leaving Nigeria?
🤦🏽‍♀️

Razzness:
Of all the countries in the world, them no see where to go na that Isreal. Tufiakuwa. People wey racist pass anything.

Gotocourt:
Agent Kola could only do for Jordan

Razzness:
Of all the countries in the world, them no see where to go na that Isreal. Tufiakuwa. People wey racist pass anything.

AfonjaPriest:
What are they looking for in Israel?
A land of m u r d e r e r s?
God bless the land of Palestine.

Razzness:
Of all the countries in the world, them no see where to go na that Isreal. Tufiakuwa. People wey racist pass anything.