Presidency: Why Tinubu Addressed Victims of Plateau Attacks at Jos Airport

* Says president’s visit was symbolic, strategic and high level engagement aimed at addressing root causes of insecurity in the state

Deji Elumoye in Abuja

The Presidency on Friday explained why President Bola Tinubu met with victims of Plateau attacks at Jos airport on Thursday evening.

Presidential spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, attributed the decision of the president to meet the Plateau attack victims in a hall around the airport vicinity to the busy schedule of the president for that day.

The Presidency, however, submitted that despite public criticism, the visit was not only 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.

The Presidency, in the eight-paragraph release stated, inter alia: “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.”