The presidency has explained that logistical and scheduling challenges informed President Bola Tinubu’s decision to address victims of the recent attacks in Plateau State at the Jos airport rather than visiting the affected communities.
In a statement issued on Friday, the president’s special adviser on information and strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said the president’s tight schedule on Thursday made it difficult to proceed directly to the crisis-hit areas.
According to the statement, Tinubu had earlier hosted Chadian President Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno at the Presidential Villa in Abuja before plans were made for him to travel to Iperu in Ogun State.
However, following a briefing by Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang on the security situation, the president cancelled his Ogun trip and arranged an emergency visit to Jos.
The presidency noted that the bilateral meeting with the Chadian leader, which focused on strengthening security cooperation, lasted longer than expected and delayed the president’s departure.
“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,” the statement read.
It further explained that upon arrival in Jos, additional logistical constraints prevented the president from traveling to the affected communities, noting that the airport runway does not support night operations due to the absence of navigational aids.
As a result, representatives of the affected communities were brought to a hall near the airport to meet with the president.
The Presidency added that top security officials, including the minister of defense, Chief of army staff,chief and inspector general of police, had earlier visited Rukuba, identified as the epicenter of the violence.
During the meeting, Tinubu condoled with victims, engaged key stakeholders, and discussed strategies to end the recurring violence in the state.
He also assured residents of the federal government’s commitment to justice and lasting peace, while promising the deployment of 5,000 AI-enabled cameras to strengthen security and help identify perpetrators.
