Abuja (Diplomat.so) – The Nigerian Presidency confirmed that President Bola Tinubu met with families affected by the Palm Sunday attack in Jos North Local Government Area, Plateau State, on Friday, April 3, assuring victims of government support and directing enhanced security measures, including the deployment of over 5,000 AI-enabled surveillance cameras across the state.
The Presidency defended the decision to hold the meeting at a hall adjoining the Yakubu Gowon Airport rather than in Jos township, citing flight restrictions and logistical constraints.
Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said the airport runway does not support night flights due to the absence of navigational aids, making travel into the town and back before dusk unfeasible.
"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,” Onanuga stated.
The visit followed a deadly gun attack in Angwan Rukuba district on Palm Sunday, Mar 29, which killed at least 28 people. Tinubu, accompanied by the Minister of Defence, the Chief of Army Staff, and the Inspector-General of Police, listened to community leaders and assured victims that authorities were intensifying efforts to identify and apprehend the attackers.
"President Tinubu’s visit to Jos was not merely symbolic. It was a strategic, high-level engagement aimed at bringing all stakeholders together to address the root causes of conflict and insecurity in the state,” Onanuga added.
During the visit, Tinubu addressed grieving family members, including Mrs. Rhoda, whose viral video showing the burial of her son Ayuba captured national attention. "I know the pain. I see in the video how you buried your loved ones and the agony in your heart. But it’s only God who can give you joy and hope. No amount of money can pay all of you back,” Tinubu told her.
The Nigerian Army announced the deployment of over 850 additional troops to reinforce operations under Operation Enduring Peace. A federal committee was also constituted to assess losses, provide compensation, and consult community leaders in Abuja for further discussions.
Despite government assurances, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar criticised the visit as insensitive. "It is both shocking and deeply insensitive that several days after the gruesome killings, the President’s so-called ‘on-the-spot assessment’ was reduced to a brief stop at the foot of his aircraft, never extending beyond the airport,” Abubakar said in a statement.
Analysts told Diplomat News Network that the visit, while logistically constrained, underscores the federal government’s approach to pairing high-level engagement with technology-driven surveillance, reflecting a broader strategy to prevent repeat attacks and restore confidence in Plateau State’s security framework.
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