The Presidency has defended President Bola Tinubu’s decision to meet victims of the Plateau State killings at a hall adjoining the Yakubu Gowon Airport rather than driving into Jos township, citing flight restrictions and logistical constraints as the reasons for the arrangement.
In a statement by Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga on Friday, the Presidency said the runway at the airport does not support night flights due to the absence of navigational aids, making it impossible for Tinubu to visit Rukuba, drive back to the airport and depart 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.
“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,” the statement read.
The visit came days after gunmen attacked the Angwan Rukuba district of Jos North Local Government Area on Palm Sunday, killing at least 28 people in one of the deadliest outbreaks of violence in the state in recent years.
The Presidency also explained the delay in Tinubu’s departure for Jos, saying his itinerary for Thursday had included receiving Chadian President Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno at the Presidential Villa for a bilateral meeting on security cooperation.
The meeting, which centred on strengthening collaboration between Nigeria and Chad, ran longer than expected, pushing back his scheduled departure.
According to the statement, Tinubu had initially planned to travel to Iperu, Ogun State, on Thursday, but suspended the trip after Mutfwang briefed him on the security situation in Plateau.
“President Tinubu’s itinerary for Thursday included two main engagements: receiving the Chadian President, Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno, and proceeding to Iperu, Ogun State. After Governor Caleb Mutfwang’s briefing, President Tinubu suspended the trip to Ogun.
“Overnight, the Presidential Villa made arrangements for the visit to Jos, with presidential assets quickly deployed. However, the President could not postpone the scheduled visit by the Chadian leader.
“The President of Chad was at the Presidential Villa for a very important bilateral meeting focused on strengthening security collaboration between the two countries. The meeting ran longer than expected, affecting President Tinubu’s scheduled departure for Jos,” the statement read.
Despite the airport setting, the Presidency said the visit achieved its objectives, with Tinubu consoling victims, listening to community leaders and engaging key stakeholders on ending the decades-long cycle of violence in the state.
Among those present at the hall were the Minister of Defence, the Chief of Army Staff and the Inspector-General of Police, who had earlier visited Rukuba ahead of the President’s arrival.
“President Tinubu’s visit to Jos was not merely symbolic. It was a strategic, high-level engagement aimed at bringing all stakeholders together to address the root causes of conflict and insecurity in the state,” Onanuga said.
At the meeting, Tinubu addressed a grieving mother, Mrs Rhoda, whose video clutching the bloodied corpse of her son had gone viral and become the defining image of the attack. He identified her son as Ayuba.
“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,” he said.
He also announced the deployment of over 5,000 AI-enabled cameras across Plateau State, directed security chiefs to track down the killers, constituted a committee to assess losses and provide compensation, and invited community leaders to Abuja for further talks.
The Nigerian Army separately announced the deployment of over 850 additional troops to reinforce operations under Operation Enduring Peace.
The Presidency insisted the visit was deliberate and strategic, with Onanuga saying “President Tinubu achieved the purpose of his visit, despite the naysayers’ attempts to ridicule it. He dropped an unmistakable message: sustainable peace must be built with the people, not imposed on them.”
However, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar criticised the visit as insensitive.
“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, never extending beyond the airport, never reaching the grieving communities, and never touching the pain of the victims,” Atiku said in a statement by his aide, Phrank Shaibu.
He added that the visit had been hurriedly curtailed to allow Tinubu to proceed to Lagos for the Easter holidays, describing it as “a decision that reflects a deeply troubling prioritisation in the face of national grief.”
(Punch)
