President Bola Ahmed Tinubu did not leave the airport during his visit to Jos, Plateau State, due to scheduling conflicts and flight safety restrictions, the Presidency has confirmed. The visit on Thursday followed a deadly attack in Angwa Rukuba, where gunmen killed several people. Instead of travelling into the city, victims and community representatives were brought to a hall at the airport to meet the President. Tinubu, addressing them, said, "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."
The decision sparked criticism, with opposition figures calling the meeting a "choreographed spectacle." However, Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, explained that Tinubu had to attend a bilateral meeting with Chadian President Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno in Abuja, which ran longer than planned. The airport in Jos lacks navigational aids for night landings, making return flights after dusk unsafe.
Tinubu deployed a high-level security team, including the Chief of Army Staff and Inspector General of Police, to assess conditions in Rukuba. He promised 5,000 AI-enabled cameras for Jos and invited community leaders to Abuja for further talks on ending the long-standing conflict.
Holding a condolence meeting on a dark airport tarmac speaks volumes about how crisis visits are managed under Tinubu. The promise of 5,000 AI cameras means little if basic infrastructure like airport lighting isn't functional. When a President cannot safely land or stay past dusk, the symbolism undermines the substance of his promises. This was not just a logistical failure—it revealed the limits of remote governance in conflict zones.
