Presidency explains airport meeting with Plateau attack victims
By Ishaya Ibrahim
The presidency has explained why President Bola Tinubu met victims of the Plateau State attack at the Airport instead of in the affected Angwan Rukuba community in the Jos North Local Government Area.
On Thursday, the president visited the state to commiserate with victims of the attacks in Angwan Rukuba, which claimed at least 27 lives.
In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the Presidency explained that the President’s original itinerary for the day included receiving Chadian President Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno for a bilateral meeting on security collaboration and proceeding to Ogun State.
According to the press statement, after receiving a briefing from Plateau Governor Caleb Mutfwang, President Tinubu immediately postponed the Ogun leg and made arrangements to visit Jos. However, the bilateral meeting with the Chadian leader ran longer than anticipated, delaying his departure.
Onanuga claimed that upon arrival at the Yakubu Gowon Airport in Jos, logistical constraints prevented the President from driving into the township.
“The airport runway lacks navigational aids for night operations, making it impossible to travel the approximately 40-minute distance to town, meet with victims for an on-the-spot assessment, and return before dusk,” Onanuga said.
According to Onanuga, state and federal officials then arranged for representatives of the affected communities to meet the president, along with security chiefs, including the Minister of Defence, the Chief of Army Staff, and the Inspector-General of Police at a hall adjoining the airport.
