The Presidency on Friday defended the decision of Bola Ahmed Tinubu to meet victims of the recent killings in Plateau State at a hall adjoining the Yakubu Gowon Airport instead of visiting the affected communities in the city.
According to the Presidency, the arrangement was due to flight restrictions and logistical challenges.
In a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, it was explained that the airport runway does not support night flights because it lacks navigational aids.
He said this limitation made it impractical for the President to travel into Jos township, meet victims at the attack scene, and return to the airport 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 due to the absence of navigational aids.
“The constraints made it unfeasible to drive into town, meet victims for on-the-spot assessment and return to the airport before dusk,” the statement read.
Onanuga added that state and federal officials decided to bring representatives of the affected communities to a hall near the airport so the President could meet them promptly while observing the flight restrictions.
“Consequently, state and federal officials decided to bring representatives of the affected community to a hall adjoining the airport so the President could meet with them promptly while adhering to flight restrictions,” he said.
The visit followed an attack by gunmen on the Angwan Rukuba district in Jos North Local Government Area on Palm Sunday, where at least 28 people were killed in one of the most serious outbreaks of violence in the state in recent years.
The Presidency also explained the delay in Tinubu’s departure for Jos, noting that his schedule included receiving the President of Chad, Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno, at the Presidential Villa for a bilateral meeting on security cooperation. The meeting reportedly lasted longer than expected and delayed the President’s departure.
During the meeting at the airport hall, Tinubu reportedly consoled victims and held discussions with community leaders on ways to address the recurring violence in Plateau State.
He also spoke with a grieving mother, Mrs Rhoda, whose video showing her holding the bloodied body of her son went viral after the attack.
Tinubu said, “I know the pain. I see in the video how you buried your loved ones and the pain and agony in your heart. But it’s only God who can give you joy and hope. No amount of money can pay all of you back.”
The President also announced several measures, including the deployment of more than 5,000 AI-enabled security cameras across Plateau State, the formation of a committee to assess losses and provide compensation, and the invitation of community leaders to Abuja for further discussions.
The Nigerian Army also announced the deployment of over 850 additional troops to strengthen operations under Operation Enduring Peace.
However, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar criticised the President’s visit, describing it as insensitive to the suffering of victims.
“It is both shocking and deeply insensitive that several days after the gruesome killings of innocent citizens, the President’s so-called ‘on-the-spot assessment’ was reduced to a brief stop at the foot of his aircraft,” Atiku said in a statement issued by his aide, Phrank Shaibu.
He added that the visit did not extend to the affected communities or fully reflect the scale of the tragedy.
Atiku also alleged that the visit was hurriedly concluded to allow Tinubu proceed to Lagos for the Easter holidays, describing the decision as “a deeply troubling prioritisation in the face of national grief.”
The Presidency, however, maintained that the visit achieved its purpose of engaging stakeholders and demonstrating the Federal Government’s commitment to ending the cycle of violence in Plateau State.
