The presidency has clarified why President Bola Ahmed Tinubu met victims of the recent Plateau killings at the airport rather than visiting the affected communities, citing tight schedules and logistical limitations that made a full trip into Jos unfeasible.
Gatekeepers News reports that Tinubu was in Plateau State on Thursday to commiserate with victims of the deadly attack in Angwan Rukuba, a community in Jos North LGA, where several lives were lost in renewed violence. Instead of going directly to the community, the president held a meeting with victims, community representatives, and stakeholders at the Yakubu Gowon Airport.
The decision drew criticism from some Nigerians, both online and offline, with many questioning the level of empathy shown by the president for not visiting the scene of the attack.
Responding in a statement, Bayo Onanuga, special adviser on information and strategy, said the president’s actions were shaped by unavoidable time and travel constraints linked to his earlier commitments.
According to him, Tinubu’s schedule on Thursday included a high-level meeting in Abuja with the Chadian leader, Mahamat Déby, focused on strengthening bilateral security cooperation between Nigeria and Chad. He added that the engagement ran longer than expected, delaying the president’s departure for Jos.
Onanuga further explained that Tinubu had initially planned to travel onward to Iperu in Ogun State, but that leg of the trip was later postponed after discussions with Caleb Mutfwang at the State House highlighted the urgency of the Plateau situation.
He also pointed to aviation and security limitations at the Jos airport as a major factor. The Yakubu Gowon Airport lacks navigational aids required for night landings, making it unsafe for flights after dusk. Given that the airport is about 40 minutes from Jos town by road, it would have been difficult for the president to travel to the affected community, carry out an on-the-spot assessment, and return in time for departure before nightfall.
“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,” Onanuga said.
“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.”
He added that key security officials, including the minister of defence, the chief of army staff, and the inspector-general of police, had already visited the epicentre of the violence in Rukuba before the president’s arrival, helping to coordinate response efforts on ground.
Onanuga also disclosed that Tinubu had earlier deployed a high-level delegation to the troubled area, including his senior special assistant on community engagement, to carry out groundwork aimed at stabilising the region and engaging affected communities.
“President Tinubu deployed the high-level team to Rukuba, including the Senior Special Assistant on Community Engagement, to undertake critical groundwork on security and community engagement, with a view to stabilising the area before his arrival.”
“Beyond expressing his condolences to the victims, President Tinubu’s objective was to engage with critical stakeholders in Plateau State on ending the recurring, decades-old conflict that has resulted in needless loss of lives and property.”
Despite the criticisms trailing the visit, the presidency maintained that the engagement achieved its intended purpose.
Onanuga said the president’s visit achieved its purpose despite the naysayers’ attempts to ridicule it.
