Criticism has trailed President Bola Tinubu’s Thursday’s visit to Plateau State, with concerns over the short duration, restriction to the airport and the movement of victims to meet him.
Tinubu had said at the start of his speech that he had just 10 minutes to leave Jos because the airport had no electricity to operate for much longer.
Gunmen had, on March 29, attacked a community bar in Jos, killing about 28 people. In a separate incident, more than 50 people were killed when assailants invaded Kimakpa village in Bassa Local Council.
Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, faulted the handling of the visit, describing it as insensitive and detached from the plight of victims.
In a statement issued yesterday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said the President neither visited bereaved families nor injured victims in hospitals, and offered no clear policy direction, decisive security intervention, or assurance against a recurrence.
He alleged that the visit was confined to the airport, where Tinubu held a meet-and-greet with political allies and traditional rulers, far removed from affected communities.
He also criticised the decision to transport grieving residents from parts of Jos to Heipang near Barkin Ladi for the visit, describing it as disturbing at a time of mourning.
According to him, the development reduced a human tragedy to a “choreographed spectacle”, prioritising optics over empathy and dignity.
“A leader who cannot stand with his people in their darkest hour cannot convincingly claim to be fighting for their safety,” he said.
Atiku added that Nigerians were not seeking symbolic visits but effective governance that guarantees the protection of lives and property.
“They do not need to see the President’s face; they need to feel the impact of his leadership,” he said.
The statement described the visit as an “on-the-spot assessment” that did not extend beyond the airport or reach affected communities.
“It is both shocking and deeply insensitive that several days after the gruesome killings of innocent citizens, 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, never reaching the grieving communities, and never touching the pain of the victims.
“Even more troubling is the impression that this fleeting visit was hurriedly curtailed to allow the President to proceed to Lagos for the Easter holidays, a decision that reflects a deeply troubling prioritisation in the face of national grief.
“While families continue to mourn those slaughtered on Palm Sunday, the President chose to convert what ought to have been a solemn visit into a political spectacle, meeting party loyalists in Jos under the thin guise of official engagement. This is not leadership; it is indifference dressed as protocol.
“This approach mirrors his earlier conduct in Benue State in June 2025, when a condolence visit over a deadly attack conspicuously avoided the epicentre in Yelwata, only to devolve into a political rally. The repetition of this pattern is no longer accidental; it is now a consistent and troubling habit.
“Until this administration moves beyond optics and embraces decisive, people-centred action, such visits will remain hollow exercises, detached from the very citizens they are meant to comfort,” the statement said.
U.S. lawmaker condemns killings, urges protection for Christian communities
THIS came as a member of the United States House of Representatives, Chris Smith, condemned the recent killings in Plateau State, calling on the Nigerian government to take urgent steps to protect Christian communities.
Smith described the attacks as part of a “deeply disturbing pattern”, noting that they occurred during the Christian observance of Palm Sunday, which precedes Easter.
The lawmaker urged Nigerian authorities to deploy adequate security forces, ensure accountability for perpetrators, and uphold their constitutional duty to protect citizens irrespective of religion.
He warned that repeated attacks during significant religious periods threaten peaceful coexistence and worsen human suffering.
“The fact that such atrocities are repeated year after year on the same holy day underscores the urgent need for decisive action.
“As Christians in Nigeria observe Holy Week and approach Easter Sunday, a time of profound spiritual reflection and celebration, I urge the Government of Nigeria to take immediate and concrete steps to ensure the safety and security of all Christian communities in the country.
This includes deploying adequate security forces and holding perpetrators to account.
“The Nigerian government has a fundamental responsibility, and constitutional duty, to protect all its citizens, regardless of their faith.
“The continued failure to prevent and intercept these targeted attacks not only deepens human suffering but also threatens the fabric of religious coexistence in the region.
“The need for the government to step up and protect the lives and religious liberty of Nigerians cannot be overstated.
“These savage killings, targeting Christians as they gathered during one of the most sacred times of the year, are incredibly heartbreaking and absolutely unacceptable,” he said.
PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu yesterday pledged to halt the cycle of violence in Plateau State, unveiling a broad security response that includes the deployment of more than 5,000 surveillance cameras across Jos.
The President made the declaration during a visit to the state capital following recent deadly attacks, assuring residents that the Federal Government would act decisively to prevent a recurrence.
“This experience will not repeat itself,” Tinubu said, stressing his administration’s resolve to restore lasting peace.
Addressing community leaders and victims, he expressed sympathy, noting that no amount of money could compensate for the loss of lives, but promising concrete steps to ensure justice and provide relief.
“There is nothing I can give you, whether in billions, that can replace the lives lost. But we will do everything possible to ensure that such tragedy does not happen again,” he said.
The President said governance must prioritise peace and prosperity rather than division.
“We were elected on the promise of peace and prosperity, not to create widows and widowers, but to build a future of hope for all,” he added.
As part of new measures, Tinubu directed the immediate installation of the surveillance cameras to enhance intelligence gathering and support real-time response by security agencies, enabling quicker identification and tracking of criminal elements.
He also ordered security agencies to intensify operations and ensure those responsible for the attacks are arrested and prosecuted.
“You must unearth and find the perpetrators,” he said.
To address the humanitarian impact, Tinubu tasked the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs with conducting a comprehensive, data-driven assessment of victims and losses to guide targeted intervention.
While acknowledging that material support cannot undo the tragedy, he assured affected families of the government’s commitment to relief efforts.
The President further directed the expansion of the state’s peace and security committee to include more stakeholders, emphasising inclusiveness in resolving longstanding communal tensions.
Reflecting on his earlier experiences in Jos, he described the city as once a symbol of unity and harmony, urging leaders to reject division.
“Jos was a place of peace and hospitality. We must rebuild that legacy,” he said.
Army deploys 850 troops to Plateau to tackle insecurity
THE Nigerian Army has deployed 850 additional troops from Abuja and Kaduna to Plateau State to curb rising insecurity.
The Chief of Army Staff, Waidi Shaibu, approved the deployment to reinforce ongoing operations under Operation Enduring Peace.
Shaibu said the troops had been tasked with protecting lives and property, as well as ensuring the safety of residents across the state.
According to him, the reinforcement is intended to support personnel already on the ground in de-escalating tensions and restoring law and order in affected areas.
He urged the troops to remain professional, disciplined and firm in dealing with criminal elements, assuring them that adequate logistics and combat support had been provided to ensure effective execution of their mission.
Earlier yesterday, the army chief led heads of security agencies on an on-the-spot assessment of the situation in Jos as part of efforts to restore calm and entrench lasting peace.
He was briefed by the General Officer Commanding 3 Division and Commander of Operation Enduring Peace, Folusho Oyinlola, on ongoing operations and proactive measures being implemented in collaboration with other security agencies to contain threats and stabilise affected communities.
Shaibu also met with community leaders and residents, reassuring them of the army’s commitment to safeguarding law-abiding citizens.
He urged residents to remain calm and vigilant, comply with the curfew, and cooperate fully with ongoing operations and investigations while going about their lawful activities.
Sharia council alleges foreign role in Plateau killings, warns of wider conflict
MEANWHILE, the Supreme Council for Shariah in Nigeria has alleged that the recent killings in Angwan Rukuba, Jos, Plateau State, were orchestrated by foreign interests seeking to provoke broader religious and communal conflict.
The council’s Secretary-General, Nafiu Baba Ahmad, made the claim in a statement yesterday, saying the pattern of the attack suggested a premeditated and coordinated operation designed to inflame tensions in an already fragile environment.
According to him, the development raises concerns about the activities of well-funded and coordinated groups, including foreign elements allegedly linked to the proliferation of small arms, cross-border movement of fighters, and the covert financing of violent networks within Nigeria.
“These external actors, often working through local collaborators, exploit our socioreligious fault lines to foment discord, weaken national cohesion, and sustain cycles of violence for geopolitical and economic interests.
“Such forces, both their external sponsors and their internal enablers, must be urgently identified, exposed, and decisively dealt with through robust intelligence, regional cooperation, and firm state action,” he said.
The council also expressed concern over rising insecurity across the North-East and North-West, where communities continue to face insurgency, banditry and mass killings.
It condemned the deaths of security personnel, saying their sacrifices should spur a more effective national response to insecurity.
Ahmad warned that routine condemnations were no longer sufficient, urging the government to demonstrate both political will and operational capacity to end the violence.
“The government must move beyond rhetoric and demonstrate the political will and operational capacity to end these senseless killings and prevent further escalation,” he said.
The council called on Nigerians to remain vigilant, law-abiding and united, while urging religious leaders to promote peace, restraint and mutual respect among their followers.
