The Presidency on Friday defended President Bola Tinubu’s decision to meet victims of the recent Plateau State killings at a hall near Yakubu Gowon Airport in Jos, instead of visiting the affected communities directly.
According to a statement by Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, the arrangement was necessary due to flight restrictions and logistical constraints. The airport runway, he explained, does not support night flights because it lacks navigational aids, making it impractical for the President to drive into Jos township, meet victims at the scene, and return before dusk.
“Upon arrival in Jos, the visit encountered some logistical challenges. While the road distance from the airport to Jos township is approximately 40 minutes, the runway does not support night flights. This made it unfeasible to conduct on-the-spot assessments and return in time,” Onanuga said.
To address this, representatives of the affected community were brought to a hall adjacent to the airport, allowing President Tinubu to meet them promptly while adhering to flight regulations.
The visit came days after gunmen attacked Angwan Rukuba in Jos North Local Government Area on Palm Sunday, killing at least 28 people—one of the deadliest incidents in the state in recent years.
Onanuga also cited a delayed departure due to Tinubu’s bilateral meeting with Chadian President Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno in Abuja on security cooperation, which lasted longer than scheduled.
During the meeting near the airport, President Tinubu consoled victims, spoke with community leaders on addressing recurring violence, and comforted grieving families. He met Mrs. Rhoda, whose video holding the bloodied body of her son went viral, telling her, “I know the pain… but it’s only God who can give you joy and hope. No amount of money can pay you back.”
Tinubu announced several measures, including deploying over 5,000 AI-enabled security cameras across Plateau State, forming a committee to assess losses and provide compensation, and inviting community leaders to Abuja for further discussions. The Nigerian Army also deployed an additional 850 troops to bolster Operation Enduring Peace.
However, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar criticized the visit as insensitive. “It is both shocking and deeply insensitive that several days after the gruesome killings, the President’s ‘on-the-spot assessment’ was reduced to a brief stop at the foot of his aircraft,” Atiku said, alleging the visit was rushed to allow Tinubu to proceed to Lagos for Easter.
The Presidency, however, maintained that the visit achieved its goal of engaging stakeholders and demonstrating the Federal Government’s commitment to ending the cycle of violence in Plateau.
