President Bola Tinubu visited Jos on Thursday, stopping at the airport where he met with Plateau State officials, including Governor Caleb Mutfwang. The visit came amid rising tensions following recent killings in the state, but Tinubu did not travel to the affected communities or meet directly with victims' families. Atiku Abubakar, former vice president, criticized the president's approach, stating that the airport stop was symbolic rather than substantive. "Tinubu went to Jos Airport, not to grieving victims," Atiku said, calling the gesture inadequate. The Plateau killings, which occurred in the Bokkos and Barkin Ladi areas, have claimed dozens of lives, with reports pointing to renewed violence between farming and herding communities. Governor Mutfwang confirmed the president's visit and expressed gratitude, though civil society groups questioned the lack of direct engagement with affected families. No policy announcements or security overhauls were made during the visit.
A president who meets governors at airports while bodies are still being buried speaks volumes about priority, not protocol. Tinubu's brief stop in Jos without visiting attack sites or survivors underscores a growing perception of emotional distance from grassroots suffering. When leaders treat condolence like a checklist, public trust erodes faster than the crisis can be contained. For Nigerians in Plateau and beyond, the optics confirm a familiar fear: their pain is visible, but not urgent.
