The Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC) says over 100 Christian pilgrims absconded during the 2017 holy pilgrimage to Israel.

Executive Secretary of the NCPC, Tor Uja made the revelation on Monday in Abuja while receiving the security report of the 2017 pilgrimage.

Uja disclosed that the 100 pilgrims who absconded were from five states in Nigeria, adding that a serving soldier, a police inspector and a lecturer were among the absconders.

He explained that part of the efforts of the commission to stop pilgrims from absconding in the future included blacklisting states with penchant for absconding, publishing the names of absconders and their guarantors in national newspapers, and prosecuting them eventually to bring defection to an end.

“The pilgrims absconded during pilgrimage as a result of their colonial mindset. However, as part of the efforts of the commission to check pilgrims from absconding, the commission has decided to increase the security surveillance during the pilgrimage.

“Nigeria is a nation of the future, the coming together of Nigeria was beyond what the colonialists conceived, it was an act of God.

“It is time to build this country and to give it foundation; it is time to give this country a character; it is time to give this country a vision and a hope. It is time to make Nigerians know that our land is a land of great opportunities. We have more opportunities in Nigeria than in America and in Israel.

“We have better land than anywhere else, what we are going to get is a revitalization to meet with the Lord Jesus Christ afresh and to have a revamping of our spiritual lives,” Uja said.