Jos attacks: Presidency defends Tinubu’s meeting with victims at airport

By Egena Sunday Ode

The presidency on Friday defended President Bola Tinubu’s meeting with the victims of Sunday’s attacks in Angean Rukuba at the Yakubu Gowon Airport, rather than an on-the-spot assessment on the scene of the killings.

According to the presidency, the Tinubu’s earlier engagement with the Chadian President at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Abuja and the logistics challenges at the airport in Jos made it practically impossible for the meeting to take place successfully outside the airport.

Specifically, it explained that the bilateral meeting with the Chadian President which focused on security collaboration between the two countries ended late in Abuja; and that the distance from the airport to Rukuba would not accommodate an early return to fly back to Abuja as the runway lacked the navigational aids to support night flights.

This explanation is coming amid a plethora of criticisms of the airport meeting when, according to the critics, the event was supposed to be a condolence visit to the victims of the attack.

Recall that over 29 persons were killed and several others wounded on palm Sunday in Angwan Rukuba, Jos, Plateau State, prompting a loud outcry across the country.

President Tinubu’s Thursday visit to the state was aimed to douse the rising tension over the killings.

According to the statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the presidency insisted that despite the criticisms, the visit achieved its objectives of genuine efforts to restore peace to the state.

The statement read: “President Tinubu’s itinerary for Thursday included two main engagements: receiving the Chadian President, Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno, and proceeding to Iperu, Ogun State. After Governor Caleb Mutfwang’s briefing, President Tinubu suspended the trip to Ogun. Overnight, the Presidential Villa made arrangements for the visit to Jos, with presidential assets quickly deployed. However, the President could not postpone the scheduled visit by the Chadian leader.

“The President of Chad was at the Presidential Villa for a very important bilateral meeting focused on strengthening security collaboration between the two countries. The meeting ran longer than expected, affecting President Tinubu’s scheduled 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.

“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.

“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.”