HUNDREDS of pilgrims congregated at a Nigerian air force base over the Easter weekend after a warrant officer’s wife claimed that the Virgin Mary had appeared to her while she was in the lavatory. Christiana Ejembi said that she first saw the holy vision last Thursday morning in the window of her private lavatory at the Sam Ethnam Air Force Base in Lagos, Nigeria’s This Day newspaper said. “I went to the toilet at about 5am and was shocked and overwhelmed by fear with the appearance of the Virgin Mary,” Mrs Ejembi said. When word of the vision reached St Augustine’s Roman Catholic Church at the airbase, hundreds of worshippers gathered outside Mrs Ejembi’s apartment to sing praises to the Mother of God. Mrs Ejembi said that the Virgin Mary had reappeared every day at about 7pm and had delivered messages on topics including entreaties to housewives to have faith in God and advice on crowd control. Officials at the base have been forced to set up heavy security around Mrs Ejembi’s apartment to control the crowds eager to see the Virgin Mary for themselves. Most have been disappointed, however. On Sunday night the apparition requested that only three people be allowed in the lavatory at a time, John Abbah, Mrs Ejembi’s brother, told reporters. “My sister and I spent about 30 minutes receiving instructions and messages from the Virgin Mary before bringing in visitors,” Mr Abbah said. He added that the apparition spoke to his sister “who interprets to me and I in turn narrate to the visiting groups”. He said: “We don’t have her itinerary, but she could reappear at any time it pleases her.”