Nigeria has airlifted more than 300 citizens back to the West African country after they fled to Jordan from Israel, where they were on a Christian pilgrimage.
Israel has launched a military campaign after Hamas militants carried out a surprise attack from Gaza on the weekend in a conflict that has already left hundreds dead and thousands of Israelis kidnapped.
Speaking on X, formerly Twitter, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu confirmed the citizens had successfully been airlifted.
Good morning Lagos,
I’m happy to announce that we have successfully airlifted and returned all three hundred and ten (310) citizens who went on pilgrimage to Jerusalem, Israel.
I want to thank you all for your concern and I must also express my joy to our Ministry of Home… pic.twitter.com/1gOU3Jtr34— Babajide Sanwo-Olu (@jidesanwoolu) October 10, 2023Did you read this?
According to AFP, the group was traveling from Bethlehem to Nazareth when they heard the news of the attack in the south of Israel, said Bukola Adeleke, a special adviser on Christian affairs for Lagos and one of the group leaders.
"We were afraid and everybody wanted to go back to Nigeria, nobody wants to die," Adekele said.
With the war erupting, the group and the Nigerian Christian Pilgrims' Commission organized for them to travel by road to Jordan and take a chartered flight to Lagos.
"Their families were waiting for them at the airport... They waited until they saw their people," Adeleke said.
The group was part of a twice-a-year pilgrimage to religious sites organized by Lagos state government.
The death toll from the war passed 3,000 on Tuesday, the fourth day of fierce fighting since Gaza-based Islamist militants launched their attack on Israel.
