The Presidency has explained why President Bola Ahmed Tinubu met with victims of the recent Plateau attacks at the Jos Airport instead of going to the affected towns directly.
Bayo Onanuga, the president’s spokesman, said on Friday that the president’s activities during his visit to Plateau State were affected by scheduling and logistical issues.
The statement said that Tinubu’s schedule for Thursday included welcoming Chadian President Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno to the Presidential Villa in Abuja and then going to Iperu in Ogun State. But after Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State gave the president a security report, he canceled the Ogun visit and made plans for an urgent journey to Jos.
The conference between the leaders of Chad and Nigeria was said to have gone on longer than planned, which delayed Tinubu’s departure for Plateau. The main goal of the meeting was to improve security cooperation between the two nations.
When they got to Jos, things got much more complicated. The presidency said that the airport runway doesn’t have the navigational aids it needs for night operations, so flights can’t take off or land after dark. Officials decided that it would be impractical for the president to tour impacted villages and then return to the airport in time for his flight, since it takes around 40 minutes to go from the airport to Jos city.
Because of this, victims and leaders from the impacted areas were taken to a facility near the airport, where the president met with them.
Top security officials, such as the Minister of Defense, the Chief of Army Staff, and the Inspector General of Police, who had already been to Rukuba, the center of the violence, were at the meeting. A high-level group had also been sent ahead of the President’s arrival to check on security and get the community involved.
During the meeting, Tinubu offered his condolences to the victims, listened to their worries, and promised them that the Federal Government was committed to stopping the violence that keeps happening in Plateau State.
He also promised to take real steps to make the state safer, such as putting 5,000 AI-enabled surveillance cameras around the state to help with monitoring and law enforcement.
The President also asked community leaders to come to Abuja for more talks to find a permanent solution to the long-standing problem.
The presidency said the visit was more than just a symbolic gesture; it was a purposeful engagement. They stressed that lasting peace can only be reached via communication with all affected populations.
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