Nigeria is sending 20,000 pilgrims to Israel, which is this year's highest number of Christian pilgrims in the world.
Airlifting of the pilgrims began yesterday in Lagos, with 409 pilgrims.
Israeli Ambassador to Nigeria, Moshe Ram, said this during the flag-off of the programme at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
The pilgrims would be the first batch that would be airlifted from Nigeria by the Nigerian Pilgrims Christian Commission (NCPC), which would lift more pilgrims from the other zones of the country.
Senate President, David Mark, who flagged off the event on behalf of Vice President Goodluck Jonathan, warned that Nigerians should not be subjected to gruesome security checks as if every Nigerian travelling out of the country is courier of illicit drugs. He added that the pilgrims were good citizens of the country and above all, Christians on holy pilgrimage.
He also advised the pilgrims to be good ambassadors of the country and avoid anything that would tarnish the country's image. He expressed the hope that they would all return back to the country after the exercise.
Mark also advised the pigrims to dedicate their time in the holy land to prayer and spiritual introspection and not forshopping, thereby defeating the purpose of the exercise.
“Let me reiterate the point that I am sure has been raised over and over again. When you leave this soil, make sure that you come back. So many of us were embarrassed when we hear that 50 per cent of pilgrims absconded en route or they got to Israel and when it is time to come back they cannot find them.
“There is so much good in this country. I was on exile for five years and every blessed day of those five years, I was praying to come back to Nigeria. So please, do not abscond, make sure that you return. It is only when you come back that government would be encouraged to send many more Nigerians for pilgrimage,” he pleaded.
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