Nigerians in M’East send distress calls as govt halts pilgrimage

Middle east air strikes

Escalating hostilities in the Middle East have sent shockwaves through Nigeria, grounding pilgrimages, disrupting travel plans, rattling the oil market and prompting anxious calls from Nigerians abroad.

Besides, some members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) – the Iran-inspired Shiite organisation founded in the late 1970s by Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky – have been staging protests in solidarity with the Iranians in some parts of the country, such as Kano, Kaduna and Lagos.

The Iranians, under attack from the United States (U.S.) and Israel because of a long-running disagreement over Iran’s nuclear enrichment programme, have been firing retaliatory missiles at Israel and other countries sympathetic to the U.S. in the Gulf region, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan, among others.

So far, Iran’s spiritual leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, his family members and more than 700 citizens have died.

Nine people have died, and others have been injured in Israel, while the U.S. has lost three soldiers.Many Nigerians have been making distress calls home, seeking support and rescue, according to the Nigeria in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM).

Yesterday, the Federal Government, through the Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC), announced the immediate suspension of all pilgrimages to Israel, citing the deteriorating security situation in the region.

Executive Secretary of the Commission, Bishop Stephen Adegbite, said in a statement signed by the Deputy Director and Head of Media and Public Relations, Celestine Toruka, that the decision followed recent developments, including the imposition of a state of emergency in Israel.

“The recent developments in the Middle East have led to the putting on hold of all pilgrimage exercises to Israel.