TERRORISTS were settled in Sokoto State forests, digging wells and setting up families before a sudden disruption by the United States airstrikes on Christmas night, residents said.

A resident of Jabo community in Tambuwal Local Government Area of Sokoto State, who said his home shook after the U.S. airstrikes on Christmas night, revealed that Lukarawa terrorists and bandits dug wells in and outside the forests in the community before the Christmas night strikes.

The 38-year-old Shehu Isah, whose family members had earlier been kidnapped by terrorists, said terrorists had already settled down in forests and within the community before the airstrikes.

“They dug wells here and even married our women in the forests. Sometimes, community members are forced to attend such events against their will,” Mr Isah noted.

Another resident, Mr Mohammad Murtala, said terrorists were comfortable operating in the community as they did so without so much resistance from security operatives.

“Yes, I can tell you that they have wells they dug in the community. When they are thirsty, they go there,” he said. stressing the need to ensure that the U.S. airstrikes weren’t a one-off security measure.

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“The Lukarawa and other bandits are fleeing for fear of other strikes. However, we urge the government to consolidate on the improved security and ensure soldiers are here permanently. Nobody knows what will happen next, but we need to have soldiers here permanently. Some of the camps set up by terrorists here must be brought down,” he added.

Another resident of the community, Mr Aminu Ibrahim, stressed that the community still lived with some level of security uncertainty owing to the unpredictability of terrorists around the community.

“Terrorists found home here because they operated freely, without any resistance. They tormented us, forced us to part with our hard-earned resources because nobody was there to help. Right now, what we want is to see improvement in security around here.”

U.S. Christmas airstrikes

The U.S. President Donald Trump launched airstrikes in Sokoto on Christmas night, targeting ISIS militants he accused of killing Christians. He described the operation as ‘decisive’ and warned that more strikes would follow if the violence continued.

“Tonight, at my direction as Commander in Chief, the United States launched a powerful and deadly strike against ISIS terrorist scum in Northwest Nigeria, who have been targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians,” Trump wrote Thursday on Truth Social.

He said he had previously warned the militants that there would be consequences if the attacks did not stop, adding that the U.S. military conducted ‘numerous perfect strikes.’

“Under my leadership, our country will not allow radical Islamic terrorism to prosper,” Trump added, while praising the U.S. military and sending Christmas greetings.”

In early November, Mr Trump had designated Nigeria as a ‘country of concern’ and threatened to cut off aid and enter the nation to root out terrorists if the government failed to take action against the alleged Christian genocide. “If the Nigerian Government continues to allow the killing of Christians, the U.S.A. will immediately stop all aid and assistance to Nigeria, and may very well go into that now disgraced country, ‘guns-a-blazing,’ to completely wipe out the Islamic terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities.”

But it appears that the majority of terrorists hit by the airstrikes are members of Lukarawa, who operate in Jabo and some local governments in the state.

Daily Post quoted a retired Major General and security expert, Mr Ibrahim Sani, as saying Nigeria must urgently rethink its counter-terrorism strategy.

“You cannot defeat guerrilla warfare with a purely conventional army approach. History has shown that those who adopt guerrilla tactics often have the advantage. Look at cases like Charles Taylor and others,” he said.

“This kind of war is complex. We must change our strategy by infiltrating these groups to gather intelligence and understand their internal operations.”