President Tinubu Stops in Jos, Offers Condolences at Airport After Deadly Palm Sunday Attack in Angwan Rukuba

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu made a brief stop in Jos on Thursday to console families affected by the violent gunmen attack that killed at least 26 – 30 people in the Angwan Rukuba community in Jos North Local Government Area on Palm Sunday, March 29, 2026.

The president landed at Yakubu Gowon Airport, where he addressed a gathering of victims’ families and state officials in the airport waiting hall rather than visiting the affected community directly.

In a short speech lasting under 10 minutes, Tinubu acknowledged the irreplaceable loss of lives and the limitations of any compensation, while promising that “this experience will not repeat itself.”

He also noted the absence of electricity at the airport, stating he had to depart within 10 minutes.“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,” Tinubu said.

He expressed condolences on behalf of the federal government and urged support for the affected families.

During the interaction, the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, announced that the federal government will deploy 5,000 surveillance cameras across Plateau State in partnership with Chinese technology firm Huawei to strengthen security infrastructure and enhance real-time monitoring in vulnerable areas.

He stated that the cameras would be installed as part of broader efforts to improve intelligence gathering and rapid response to threats, adding that this initiative would complement ongoing military and police operations aimed at preventing future attacks.

President Tinubu further emphasised that the move is intended to restore public confidence and ensure that such tragic incidents do not recur, while calling for collaboration between federal agencies, the state government, and local communities to make the surveillance network effective.

The assault on the community had occurred around 7:50 – 8:00 p.m. on March 29, 2026, when unidentified gunmen opened fire on residents in a busy street in the predominantly Christian Angwan Rukuba area of Jos North.

Eyewitnesses described indiscriminate shooting into crowds gathered on a dark street, causing chaos as people fled for safety.

Initial reports varied, with some media outlets citing 10–11 deaths early on, while local counts and community sources later placed the toll at 26–27 bodies recovered, with additional fatalities in hospitals pushing estimates to around 30. Several others were injured.

The Plateau State Government, under Governor Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang, responded swiftly by imposing a 48-hour curfew in Jos North, reinforcing a ban on motorcycle operations, and convening a State Security Council meeting.

The curfew was later partially relaxed to allow essential activities, though some looting was reported during the window.

Mutfwang briefed President Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on April 1, describing the incident as a “mixture of multiple reasons” that could only be fully understood once perpetrators were apprehended, while labeling elements of it as terrorism.

Meanwhile, critics, including opposition voices and residents on social media, have expressed disappointment that the president did not visit the attack site or spend more time in the community, viewing the airport meeting and quick departure as insufficient empathy amid ongoing national challenges like power outages and insecurity.

Some highlighted the irony of the president commenting on the lack of electricity at the airport, given Nigeria’s chronic power sector issues.