President Bola Tinubu met with victims of the Palm Sunday violence in Plateau State at Jos airport on Thursday instead of travelling into the city due to scheduling delays and airport limitations, according to presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga. The visit followed a bilateral meeting with Chadian President Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno at the Presidential Villa, which ran longer than planned, pushing back Tinubu's departure. Onanuga explained that the Jos airport lacks navigational aids for night landings, making it unsafe to return after dark if the president had proceeded into town. As a result, officials arranged for community representatives to be brought to a hall near the airport for the meeting.
Tinubu addressed community leaders and residents, vowing that the attack—which killed 28 people—would not happen again. He was accompanied by the Minister of Defence, Chief of Army Staff, and Inspector General of Police, all of whom had visited Rukuba, the epicentre of the violence. A high-level team, including the Senior Special Assistant on Community Engagement, was deployed to assess the situation on the ground. Tinubu also invited community leaders to Abuja for further discussions on ending the long-standing conflict in Plateau State. Onanuga dismissed criticism of the airport meeting as unfounded, stating the visit fulfilled its objective.
