NCPC goes tough on guarantors over abscondment 

The Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC) has declared that it would not spare “any pilgrim who absconds during pilgrimage including their guarantors.”

According to the Commission, it’s committed to achieving zero abscondment of pilgrims during pilgrimage; a feat which was achieved last year during its maiden pilgrimage to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

Consequently, it had secured the arrest of a guarantor, Mr. Chidi Ogbuehi, with the assistance of law enforcement agents.

A press statement issued Tuesday by the Commission’s head of media and public relations, Celestine Toruka, indicated that Mr. Ogbuefi’s brother, Solomon Ogbuehi, absconded during pilgrimage in July, this year, through the Lagos state contingent to Israel.

“It is instructive to state that the Commission in its pilgrim form which every intending pilgrim must fill before undergoing a screening exercise conducted by the Commission makes a provision where a guarantor must attest to the character of the intending pilgrim and specify in writing and duly signs that he or she would take full responsibility in the event that the pilgrim absconds in the Holy Land.

“Mr. Chidi Ogbuehi, who claimed to be an official of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) and a lecturer with Anchor University, Ipaja, Lagos, was arrested by law enforcement agents on August 01, 2022, for aiding his brother, Solomon Ogbuehi, to abscond in Israel during a pilgrimage exercise, having committed himself by attestation and by accepting full responsibility.

“Mr. Solomon Ogbuehi, the absconder, travelled to Israel as a self-sponsored pilgrim with the Lagos state contingent and claimed to be an evangelist with the Mounting of Fire and Miracles Ministry (MFM). On the expiration of his pilgrimage exercise, Mr. Solomon Ogbuehi did not return to the country having absconded in Israel and his guarantor, Mr. Chidi Ogbuehi, failed to produce him,” the statement read in part.

“NCPC will leave no stone unturned to make sure that Mr. Chidi Ogbuehi pays for aiding his brother to abscond during pilgrimage, except he produces him, and this would serve as a deterrent to other would-be guarantors and potential absconders.”