HADEJIA A YAU!
Many years ago the residents of Hadejia and adjoining villages, mostly Fulani herders saw an airplane hovering around while descending slowly; they all abandoned what they were doing and thronged to the airstrip located about two kilometers away from Hadejia town in order to catch a glimpse of the gigantic flying object.
Daily Trust on Sunday gathered that the airstrip which was said to have been opened in 1954 was only used for transporting high profile personalities, who were mostly colonial masters.
It was gathered that the former Premier of the regional government of defunct Northern Nigeria and the Sardauna of Sokoto, Ahmadu Bello, used the airstrip while on a campaign rally in Hadejia emirate.
The airstrip which had only a windsock as landing and take-off instrument was used only for very important occasions.
Although there are various versions on how the airstrip looked at that time as some sources said there was a literite compacted runway, while others said it was just a dusty plain land that served as the runway.
In any case, what remains of the airstrip include two dilapidated structures and a plain land with demarcation signs, suggesting it is no longer in use. The land has also been allocated for development.
As most of such airstrips across the country, it could only accommodate small planes which carry six to seven passengers.
Daily Trust on Sunday gathered that when it was in use, a canopy was always erected for receiving personalities.
Security agents drafted to the airstrip during such visits were the royal guards and the Native Authority policemen.
Adamu Dede, a Fulani herder who said he witnessed the landing and take-off of an airplane from the airstrip on about three different occasions, said though he was only seven years of age, he could remember the dust that took over the entire area whenever the plane was taxing for taking off.
He added that at that time, whenever they noticed “the big flying object coming close to the ground, we would rush to the airstrip because that meant that a plane was about to land.”
Dede, who was seen rearing cattle on the land once used as the airstrip, told our correspondent that at that time, their major concern was to see the airplane land, not the personalities on board.
Dede, who is now about 60 years of age, added that at that time age or sex didn’t matter as they all rushed out each time a plane approached the airstrip.
On how long the plane usually stayed on ground before taking off, Dede said it remained at the airstrip for about three to four hours before it flew back to base.
He said he could remember that there was a flag in the place, probably that was the windsock which aided the pilot in determining not only the direction of the wind but also the velocity of the wind.
Dede who spoke with excitement recalled that the plane he saw on three different occasions bore different designs.
He said they were all white in colour but with different stripes.
He added that the royal guards, who were fully in charge of security, were always on horse- back.
“No one could go close to the plane let alone touch it. Apart from the few who were privileged to go to Saudi Arabia on pilgrimage, nobody can say exactly what the interiors of the plane was like. I was a child then and you know children of those days were not so inquisitive,” he said.
Speaking to Wazirin Hadejia, Alhaji Hashim Amar, said the airstrip was established in 1954, and that he was a primary school pupil at that time.
The Waziri recalled that when the Premier of Northern Nigeria, Ahmadu Bello, came to Hadejia they assembled at the airstrip to welcome him.
Amar, however, added that he could not speak much about the airstrip, which functioned mainly between 1954 and 1965, because he left Hadejia for school in Kano.
He added that the airstrip was last used by Ahmadu Bello in September,1965, when he came for political campaign, saying, there was information that apart from Ahmadu Bello, the military also used the airstrip.
By Haruna Aliyu Hadejia
