The Nigerian Presidency has explained why President Bola Ahmed Tinubu met victims of the recent Plateau attacks at the Jos airport instead of visiting affected communities, citing logistical and security constraints.
In a statement issued by Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the Presidency said the President’s schedule on Thursday had originally included receiving Chadian President Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno and travelling to Iperu in Ogun State before the Plateau visit was arranged.
According to the statement, the President decided to visit Jos after being briefed by Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang on the attacks and subsequently suspended his planned trip to Ogun State.
The Presidency said the visit was delayed by a bilateral meeting with the Chadian President at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
It also cited logistical challenges at the Jos airport, stating that the runway does not support night operations due to the absence of navigational aids, making it difficult for the President to travel into the city and return to the airport before dusk.
As a result, representatives of the affected communities were brought to a hall near the airport to meet with the President.
The statement said the visit was intended to engage stakeholders on the security situation, noting that; “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.”
Senior security officials, including the Minister of Defence, the Chief of Army Staff and the Inspector General of Police, were present at the meeting, having earlier visited Rukuba, identified as the epicentre of the violence.
The Presidency also said the President invited community leaders to Abuja for further discussions on finding a lasting solution to the recurring violence in the state.
