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Nigerian President Bola Tinubu’s aides have defended his brief visit to Plateau State, where he addressed survivors of the recent gruesome killings and met with government officials at the state’s airport on Thursday.
President Tinubu’s brief visit to Plateau drew widespread criticism, with Nigerians accusing him of insensitivity for not visiting Angwan Rukuba, where gunmen killed over 20 people and injured many, and instead addressing survivors at the airport.
“You have no light at the airport, and I have to fly back within the next 10 minutes,” Tinubu 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 but promise you this experience will not repeat itself.”
Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu says that his government will do its best to support… pic.twitter.com/Njw00Rh27T
— News Central TV (@NewsCentralTV) April 2, 2026
Despite the backlash, Tinubu’s aides defended the brief trip. Tinubu’s spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, described the President’s visit as a “strategic, high-level engagement aimed at bringing all stakeholders together to address the root causes of conflict and insecurity in the state”.
STATEHOUSE PRESS RELEASE
Why President Tinubu addressed the victims of the Plateau attacks at the airport
President Tinubu’s itinerary for Thursday included two main engagements: receiving the Chadian President, Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno, and proceeding to Iperu, Ogun State.… pic.twitter.com/YCOE7fHx7q
— Bayo Onanuga, OON, CON (@aonanuga1956) April 3, 2026
He said that Tinubu was scheduled to receive the Chadian President, Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno, and visit Iperu, Ogun State, but the Ogun visit was suspended, and arrangements were quickly made for a trip to Jos. He added that the meeting with the Chadian leader could not be postponed.
Onanuga also said that Tinubu encountered some logistical challenges upon his arrival in Jos.
“While the road distance from the airport to Jos township is approximately 40 minutes, the runway does not support night flights due to the absence of navigational aids. The constraints made it unfeasible to drive into town, meet victims for on-the-spot assessment and return to the airport before dusk.,” said Onanuga.
“Consequently, state and federal officials decided to bring representatives of the affected community to a hall adjoining the airport so the President could meet with them promptly while adhering to flight restrictions.”
Another presidential spokesperson, Sunday Dare, said Nigerians should not measure the visit by the short time Tinubu spent in the state, adding that the visit was “strategic, deliberate, and outcome-driven”.
ON THE CONDOLENCE VISIT TO THE PLATEAU
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s visit to Jos was, in every material sense, strategic, deliberate, and outcome-driven.
This was not a symbolic stopover. It was a structured engagement with critical stakeholders across Plateau State. Several… pic.twitter.com/4hzCtGag94
— Sunday Dare,CON (@SundayDareSD) April 3, 2026
“The significance of the visit should not be measured by duration, but by the clarity of intent, the firmness of tone, and the decisions set in motion. The President’s disposition was unmistakable—direct, engaged, and resolute. Here was a President immersing himself into work of finding a lasting solution and bringing peace to the Plateau,” said Dare.
In another post on X, Dare said Tinubu’s visit was “infused with empathy, powerful words and charge signposting a resolution that is possible “.
Tinubu’s aides are not the only ones who have defended Tinubu against the backdrop of criticisms. As critics call him a leader lacking empathy, his supporters describe him as compassionate.
