The Presidency has explained why President Bola Tinubu chose to meet victims of the Plateau attacks at Yakubu Gowon Airport instead of going directly to the affected communities.
Tinubu visited Plateau State on Thursday to sympathise with victims of the Sunday evening attack in Angwan Rukuba, located in Jos North Local Government Area.
During the trip, the president met with key stakeholders and some of the victims at the airport in Plateau.
His decision to stay at the airport drew criticism both online and offline, with many Nigerians saying he failed to show enough compassion by not visiting the troubled communities in person.
Yakubu Gowon Airport is in Heipang, Barkin Ladi LGA, about a 40-minute drive from Jos, the state capital.
In a statement released on Friday, presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga said Tinubu already had other important engagements on Thursday, including a meeting in Abuja with the Chadian president and a planned trip to Iperu in Ogun State.
According to him, the proposed Ogun visit was postponed after the president held talks with Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang at the State House.
Onanuga explained that Tinubu could not move the meeting with the Chadian leader because it focused on improving security cooperation between both countries.
He added that the bilateral meeting lasted longer than expected, which delayed the president’s departure to 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,” Onanuga said.
“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.”
Onanuga said the president’s visit achieved its purpose “despite the naysayers’ attempts to ridicule it”.
KanyiDaily recalls that Plateau Government announced a 48-hour curfew in Jos North after the deadly attack in the Angwan Rukuba area.
