The Presidency has explained that President Bola Tinubu’s engagement with Plateau elders and victims of the Rukuba attacks took place at a hall adjoining Jos airport primarily because there was no power supply at the airport at the time of the visit, compounded by the absence of night flight navigational aids.

According to Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, the President’s schedule was significantly impacted by an extended bilateral meeting with Chadian President Idriss Déby Itno in Abuja earlier on Thursday. The important security-focused discussions between the two countries ran longer than anticipated, delaying Tinubu’s departure for Jos.

“After Governor Caleb Mutfwang briefed the President on the security situation, President Tinubu suspended his planned trip to Ogun State and made arrangements overnight for the Jos visit, deploying presidential assets quickly,” Onanuga stated. “However, he could not postpone the scheduled high-level visit by the Chadian leader.”

Upon arrival in Jos, the team encountered logistical challenges. The road distance from the airport to Jos township is about 40 minutes, but with no electricity at the airport and the runway lacking navigational aids for night operations, it became impossible to drive into town for an on-the-spot assessment, meet with victims, and return to the airport before dusk while ensuring safe departure.

As a result, state and federal officials swiftly arranged for representatives of the affected communities and Plateau elders to be brought to a hall adjoining the airport. This allowed the President to hold the critical engagement promptly without violating operational and safety constraints tied to the power situation and limited airport infrastructure.

President Tinubu was accompanied by the Minister of Defence, the Chief of Army Staff, and the Inspector General of Police. A high-level advance team—including these security chiefs—had already visited Rukuba, the epicenter of the conflict, to conduct groundwork on security and community engagement ahead of the President’s arrival.

The engagement was not merely symbolic but a strategic business-like operation aimed at addressing the decades-old cycle of violence in Plateau State. President Tinubu expressed condolences, listened directly to victims and local leaders, and assured them of federal government commitment to delivering justice and lasting solutions.