Last Thursday’s meeting by President Bola Tinubu with families of victims killed in last Sunday attack on Anguwan Rukuba Community in the Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State at the Yakubu Gowon Airport, Heipang, is drawing backlash on the internet.
His visit followed the killing of 28 persons in the attack that left many others injured, after unknown gunmen invaded the Community around 7.30 pm and shot indiscriminately, causing panic as people scurried to safety.
According to Daily Trust, the victims families were gathered in a town hall meeting at the airport where the President addressed them and other key stakeholders, including the state Governor, Caleb Mutfwang; Chairman of the Plateau State Joint Chiefs & Emirs Council and Gbong Gwom Jos, Da Jacob Gyang Buba; former governors, Jonah Jang and Simon Bako Lalong; the National Chairman of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC), Nentawe Yilwada, as well as religious and community leaders.
Addressing the gathering, President Tinubu assured the gathering that measures would be put in place to prevent a recurrence of the ferocious attack.
He noted that over 5,000 cameras would be installed across the state to assist the security agencies in apprehending the perpetrators of the heinous crime.
“There is nothing I can give: money or any other things, but to console you and promise you that this experience will not repeat itself.
“We will try our best to comfort you and work with you. The best solution is for Jos to be just the world that people like us grew up to know,” he said based on the discussion with the leaders, a Committee, comprising the APC national chairman and the State governor as members, would be set up to intervene in the conflict in the areas.
Reacting to the President’s visit, former Vice President, Abubakar Atiku, described his action as as a “troubling display of detachment from the plight of Nigerians”.
Atiku in a post on social media, criticized the Nigerian leader for failing to visit the affected Communities or engaging with the grieving families of terrors attacks directly instead of meeting them at the airport.
Other Nigerians, including Ridwan Oke, a lawyer, questioned the visit, describing it as a “waste of everybody’s time” because he didn’t visit the affected areas.
An X user, @FemiBall Hall_LV, compared Tinubu’s actions as unfortunate and likened his actions to Governor of Plateau State, Caleb Mufwang, who recently visited the area in an armour truck.
Peace_Igho also questioned the purpose of Tinubu’s visit, asking if it was just to stop at the airport”, he said.
In the meantime, popular human rights senior lawyer, Adegboruwa Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa (SAN) said in a statement: “That the President was only at the Jos airport?
“That the whole event happened at the Jos airport and that the President did not actually visit any family in Jos proper?
“That the Governor of Plateau State gathered all the grieving families together to meet with the President at the airport.
“That the President did not actually visit any bereaved family to offer his condolences but the families actually visited the President to receive their condolences.
“That the whole event did not last beyond 30 minutes and the President jetted out to Lagos for the Easter holidays.
“And that the solution to the ceaseless attacks from terrorists armed with AK47 rifles and land mines is the instalation of CCTV cameras!
“Is it true?”, he queried.
