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426 Pilgrims Absconded in 5years, Says Minister From Iyefu Adoba in Abuja Not less than 426 Christian pilgrims absconded during pilgrimages to the Holy Land in the last five years, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Alhaji Abubakar Tanko has said. The Minister, therefore, appealed to the Israeli government to help reduce the incidence of abscondment in the Holy Land. Chairman of the Christian Pilgrims Committee, (CMC), 2004, Dr. Godwin Ajakpo, in two separate events in Abuja yesterday raised the issue. Tanko spoke while receiving the Israeli Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Noam Katz, while Ajakpo addressed newsmen on the terms of reference of the CMC. Giving a breakdown of the number of Pilgrims who absconded over the years, Ajakpo warned that any intending pilgrim planning to use pilgrimage, as an opportunity to abscond should have a rethink. He listed measures to be put in place to include screening and re-screening to ensure that only genuine pilgrims are cleared. Others are strict age limit, participation of expert mind readers from the security agencies, passport control, with passports designed for only one trip and thereafter discarded, and introduction of pilgrim's uniforms, for easy identification while in Israel. Meanwhile, the cost of this year's pilgrimage has been fixed at N222,752 to cover airfare to and from Israel, as well as accommodation, feeding, transportation, insurance, visa, passport, bank and administrative charges. Who Are We ? | About THISDAYOnLine.com | THISDAY People | Contact Us © Copyright 2000 Leaders & Company Limited

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