The Presidency has clarified why President Bola Ahmed Tinubu remained at the airport during his visit to Jos, Plateau State, attributing it to scheduling constraints and logistical difficulties.
The President met with the families of victims who were killed when gunmen attacked Angwa Rukuba in Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State on Sunday.
Speaking to the victims, who were brought to the airport to meet him, the President said, “You have no light at the airport, and I have to fly back within the next 10 minutes. To the victims, there’s nothing I can give you, whether it’s money in millions, but console you and promise you that this experience will not repeat itself.”
The hall was reportedly packed with political supporters, traditional rulers, security personnel, and others.
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President Tinubu’s airport-only stay sparked widespread outrage, with critics accusing him of showing insensitivity to the grieving families. Among the first to criticize was opposition leader, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, who commented through his aide, Phrank Shaibu. According to him, the event turned a human tragedy into a “choreographed spectacle”, putting optics above empathy and dignity.
However, in a statement on Friday, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, explained that President Tinubu’s Thursday schedule originally included receiving the Chadian leader, Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno, at the Presidential Villa before traveling to Iperu in Ogun State.
Following a security briefing from Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang, the President canceled the Ogun trip and made overnight arrangements for an urgent visit to Jos. Despite the change, he could not reschedule the high-level bilateral meeting with the Chadian President, which focused on strengthening security cooperation between the two countries.
According to the Presidency, the meeting ran longer than expected, delaying Tinubu’s departure for Jos.
“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. Among the people in the hall were the Minister of Defence, the Chief of Army Staff and the Inspector General of Police, who had visited Rukuba, the epicentre of the conflict. 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.”
Onanuga added that Tinubu’s visit to Jos was not merely symbolic, but “a strategic, high-level engagement aimed at bringing all stakeholders together to address the root causes of conflict and insecurity in the state.”
“He interacted with the victims, consoled them, and listened to them. He also listened to local leaders and assured them that the federal government would deliver justice and end the cycle of violence. He promised the deployment of 5000 AI-enabled cameras to monitor the city and enhance the identification and arrest of troublemakers.
“Furthermore, the President invited the community leaders to Abuja for further talks on finding a lasting solution to the recurring violence in the state.
“The meeting, televised live, was solemn and reassuring, boosting residents’ confidence. 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.”
