The Presidency has justified President Bola Tinubu’s decision to meet victims of the Plateau State Palm Sunday killings at a hall adjacent to Yakubu Gowon Airport, rather than travelling into Jos township, citing logistical constraints and flight restrictions as the primary reasons.
In a statement on Friday, Bayo Onanuga said the airport runway cannot accommodate night flights due to the absence of navigational aids, making it impossible for the President to travel into Rukuba, hold meetings in town, and return for departure 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.
“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 visit followed a deadly attack in the Angwan Rukuba district of Jos North Local Government Area on Palm Sunday, which claimed at least 28 lives, marking one of the most severe outbreaks of violence in Plateau in recent years.
The Presidency also explained the delay in Tinubu’s departure for Jos, attributing it to an extended bilateral meeting with Chadian President Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno at the Presidential Villa, which focused on strengthening security collaboration between Nigeria and Chad.
Tinubu had originally planned to travel to Iperu, Ogun State, but suspended that trip after being briefed on the Plateau security situation by Governor Caleb Mutfwang.
Despite the airport setting, Onanuga described the visit as deliberate and impactful, allowing the President to console victims, listen to community leaders, and coordinate with security chiefs on measures to address insecurity.
Among those present were the Minister of Defence, the Chief of Army Staff, and the Inspector-General of Police.
Tinubu also met Mrs Rhoda, whose viral video clutching the bloodied body of her son, Ayuba, captured national attention. “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 told her.
The President announced the deployment of over 5,000 AI-enabled surveillance cameras across Plateau State, directed security chiefs to track down the perpetrators, and set up a committee to assess losses and provide compensation. The Nigerian Army further committed over 850 additional troops to reinforce operations under Operation Enduring Peace.
Onanuga said, “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 “deeply insensitive,” arguing that the airport meeting fell short of an on-the-ground assessment of the grieving communities.
“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 through his aide, Phrank Shaibu.
He added that the hurried nature of the visit, allegedly to allow Tinubu to proceed to Lagos for Easter, “reflects a deeply troubling prioritisation in the face of national grief.”