Tinubu’s Jos Visit Sparks Debate Over Airport Meeting With Attack Victims

President Bola Tinubu’s visit to Plateau State on Thursday to commiserate with victims of the Palm Sunday attack in Jos has drawn sharp criticism from residents, opposition figures, and Nigerians on social media, after the President conducted the entire visit from the Yakubu Gowon Airport in Heipang without entering the city where the killings occurred.

Gunmen attacked the Gari Yawaye community in Angwan Rukuba, Jos North Local Government Area, killing more than 30 people and injuring several others.

The attack, which occurred on Palm Sunday, is one of the deadliest outbreaks of violence in the state in recent years.

The President arrived at the airport on Thursday evening, where he met with stakeholders and some victims of the attack. The airport is about a 40-minute drive to Jos, the state capital, where the killings took place.

Rather than visiting the affected communities or hospitals where survivors were receiving treatment, the President addressed stakeholders at the Yakubu Gowon Airport in Heipang before leaving the state — a move that sparked criticism among residents and social media users.

During the brief meeting, the President told those assembled, “You have no light at the airport, and I have to fly back within the next 10 minutes.

“To the victims, there’s nothing I can give you, whether it’s money in millions, but console you and promise you that this experience will not repeat itself.”

Many residents argued that the visit would have been more meaningful if the President had met victims directly or visited the scene of the attack.

Some said he should have visited the affected city or seen the victims at the hospital.

Aggrieved residents, who shared their reactions on social media, questioned why the President would address them at the airport when the real victims were far from the spot.

One social media user wrote: “So all the epistle Tinubu wrote on Twitter about going to Jos was to just stop at the airport??”

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar also weighed in, describing the visit as falling far short of what the moment demanded.

Through his spokesperson Phrank Shaibu, Atiku alleged that Tinubu “converted what ought to have been a solemn visit into a political spectacle, meeting party loyalists in Jos under the thin guise of official engagement.”

Atiku drew parallels to a similar pattern in June 2025, when Tinubu visited Benue State following deadly attacks in Yelwata, but allegedly avoided the affected communities — a visit Atiku described as having devolved into a political rally.

The Presidency on Friday pushed back against the criticism, offering a detailed explanation for why the visit was conducted the way it was.

In a statement by Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the Presidency said the decision was due to logistical and security constraints, particularly limitations at the Jos airport.

According to the statement, the runway at the airport does not support night flights due to the absence of navigational aids, making it impossible for Tinubu to visit Rukuba, drive back to the airport, and depart before dusk.

“The constraints made it unfeasible to drive into town, meet victims for on-the-spot assessment and return to the airport before dusk,” the Presidency said.

Onanuga also explained that the President’s schedule on Thursday had included hosting Chadian President Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno at the Presidential Villa for a bilateral meeting focused on strengthening security collaboration between Nigeria and Chad.

Related: 48-Hour Curfew Declared In Jos Following Deadly Bar Attack

The meeting ran longer than expected, affecting Tinubu’s scheduled departure for Jos.

As a result, state and federal officials arranged for victims and community representatives to be brought to a hall near the airport so the President could meet with them while adhering to flight restrictions.

The Presidency added that senior security officials, including the Chief of Army Staff and the Inspector General of Police, had earlier visited the Rukuba epicentre ahead of the President’s arrival.

Tinubu also promised the deployment of 5,000 AI-enabled cameras to monitor the city and enhance the identification and arrest of troublemakers, and invited community leaders to Abuja for further discussions on resolving the crisis.

Onanuga maintained that the visit achieved its objective, saying the President “dropped an unmistakable message: sustainable peace must be built with the people, not imposed on them.”

Beyond the debate over the visit’s format, many Plateau residents have called for concrete, sustained action. Residents insist that beyond visits and speeches, what the people of Plateau State truly need is improved security and justice for victims of the attacks.

Some Jos residents expressed scepticism about Tinubu’s gesture.

Trader Peter Auta told AFP: “Previous visits by the vice president have not changed anything.

“The crisis continues to occur and people are killed.”

The Palm Sunday killings have once again put the spotlight on the recurring cycle of violence in Plateau State, and whether government responses — symbolic or otherwise — can translate into lasting peace for one of Nigeria’s most volatile regions.