Musa Na-Allah, Sokoto
The thunderous roar of military fighter jets ripped across Sokoto metropolis and nearby council areas on Sunday, rattling a region still reeling from weeks of brutal bandit attacks.
For many residents, the sudden show of air power felt both dramatic and hollow, coming only after relentless raids had already forced thousands to flee their ancestral homes. Entire villages now stand deserted, reduced to rubble by the cruelty of armed groups.
“We begged for action when bandits were burning our villages and killing our people, but no one came.
Now that our communities are empty, the jets are here,” lamented Hassan Dan Liman of Kirare in Goronyo Local Government.
His words echo the frustration of displaced families crammed into overcrowded camps.
To them, the belated air strikes highlight years of government inaction while farms, schools, and marketplaces were destroyed.
Observers say the jets’ arrival looks more like political damage control than a real strategy. Security experts warn that air power alone cannot undo the devastation in Sokoto North, Tureta, Isa, Goronyo, and Sabon Birni LGAs.
From abandoned farmlands in Lambara to deserted homes in Shagari, the scars of neglect remain raw. A weary farmer summed up the despair: “We heard the roar of the jets and thought finally we are safe, but we returned to empty homes. What is left to protect?”
Analysts argue that only a sustained, coordinated ground offensive can break the grip of the bandits.
Anything less risks being cosmetic, comforting officials, but leaving citizens unprotected.
The Defence Headquarters insists the jets are part of intensified operations across the Northwest. But critics call it symbolism, designed to pacify outrage over the state’s failure to protect lives.
Meanwhile, displaced families continue to endure hunger, abandoned farms, and collapsed trade.
Traditional rulers and community leaders are urging federal and state governments to adopt proactive measures instead of reactionary gestures.
For Sokoto, the roar of jets is a cruel reminder of what might have been if action had come sooner. The people long not for sounds in the sky, but for true safety in their homes, markets, and fields.
