Christian Tourism Practitioner’s Association President, Kristilere, Assaulted By Egyptian Police

The President of the Christian Tourism Practitioner’s Association of Nigeria (CTPAN), the umbrella body of all Christian Pilgrimage Operators in Nigeria, and the CEO of Oasis of Faith Intercontinental Ltd, a Private Christian Pilgrimage Company, Revd Dr. Israel Kristilere, has called out the Egyptian Police following the assault he experienced during his stopover alongside other travellers at the Cairo International Airport on April 30, 2024.

According to Kristilere, also the Senior Pastor of Shepherdhill Baptist Church, Obanikoro, Lagos, he was travelling alongside 28 other pilgrims to Amman and took an Egyptian Air from Lagos.

On getting to Egypt for their 4-hour stopover, they were about to board another flight when the Egyptian Police called him to follow them to their office. Then, he was told that he had sexually assaulted a lady at the airport.

He explained that he had never set his eyes on her; however, he apologized as he was requested to do.

He said, “He told the lady that he did not know her, and if it was a missing identity, he was sorry, but he did not commit the offence.” Thereafter, they offered a solution and told him to sign a document in Arabic. But he insisted on having the document translated into English.

He objected, and he was threatened that he would miss his flight and charged to court. As the heated conversation continued, he wrote I do not on the document. The desk manager of the airport came in and spoke to them, and this led to his release.

On getting to the aircraft, he discovered that all the co-travellers refused to enter the plane, leading to his speedy release from these officers.

Dr Kristilere said he is calling out the Egyptian Police because he was traumatized as a result of their unruly attitude towards him.

He noted that this is one of the many syndicates in various airports across Africa, and it will be essential to alert the Nigerian government, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) and travellers to be aware of another antic in the hands of the Egyptian Police.