Daud Olatunji
Six Christian pilgrims from Sagamu, Ogun State, have reportedly fled a camp in Nazareth, Jerusalem, during their Christian holy pilgrimage, sending shockwaves through the Nigerian delegation.
According to PLATFORM TIMES, the incident occurred on Monday night when the six pilgrims, including five males and one female, escaped the camp by sneaking through a window.
A source, who spoke to PLATFORM TIMES on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the incident, revealed that the pilgrims were part of a larger Nigerian contingent.
They had been in Jerusalem for the pilgrimage but had fled to another country, causing major disruptions at the camp.
“They fled through the window late at night,” the source said.
“The six pilgrims consist of five males and one female, all from Sagamu, Ogun State.”
The source further explained that the authorities had to temporarily halt the ongoing spiritual exercise in response to the incident.
As a result of the escape, the movement of other Nigerian pilgrims has been severely restricted.
“The programme had not been concluded when the escape occurred, but the authorities immediately took action to restrict the movement of others,” the source added.
It was also revealed that the pilgrims, who departed Nigeria last Wednesday, were originally scheduled to return home this Saturday.
The source said “they were in Nazareth and were set to depart on Friday.”
However, the unexpected escape has forced the authorities to tighten security and impose what has been described as a “house arrest” on the remaining pilgrims.
“The authorities shut the gates and locked the doors after the incident. Later, they opened the doors but instructed the pilgrims to go for breakfast,” the source said. “They were not permitted to go out anymore.”
As of now, the remaining pilgrims are still confined to the camp, with their movements restricted as the authorities investigate the escape.
Ogun State government has not reacted to the development as of the time of filing this report .
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