History

The History Of Borno State Governor Professor Babagana Umara Zulum

Published

3 years ago

January 14, 2022

Borno state Governor, Prof, Engr. Babagana Umara Zulum.

1. He was born on 25th August, 1969 in Zulum Village of Mafa LGA.
2. He Hawked firewood and sponsored his education.
3. He became commercial driver and sponsored his education.

• Mafa Primary School 1975-1980.

• Government Secondary School, Monguno 1980-1985.

• Ramat Polytechnic, Maiduguri 1986-1988.

• University of Maiduguri 1990-1994.

• University of Ibadan 1997-1998

• University of Maiduguri 2005-2009

QUALIFICATIONS
a. Academic
i. Ph.D ( Soil and Water Engineering) 2009
ii. M.Sc. Agricultural Engineering 1998(Soil and Water in University of Ibadan)
iii. B,Eng. (AgriculturalEngineering) 1994
iiii. National Diploma in Irrigation Engineering 1988
v. General Certificate of Education 1985
vi. Primary School Certificate 1980

b. Professional
i. Member, National Institute for Policy and Strategic
Studies, NIPSS (mni)

ii. COREN Registered Engineer
iii. Nigerian Association of Technologists in Engineering
(FNATE)

a. Borno State Civil Service:

i. Borno state First Honourable Commissioner, Ministry of Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Resettlement.

ii. Assistant Technical Officer, Borno State Ministry of Agric. 1989-1990
b. Borno State Unified Local Government Service
i. Senior Field Overseer 1990
ii. Technical Officer 1990-1992
iii. Senior Technical Officer 1992-1994
iv. Agric. Engineering 1994-1996
v. Senior Agricultural Engineer 1997-1999
vi. Principal Water Engineer 1999-2000

c. Teaching and Research Experience in the University
Teaching
Join the University of Maiduguri as an assistant lecturer in the year 2000. Undergraduate and Post graduate teaching courses include: Soil Science, Irrigation and Drainage Engineering, Soil and Water Conservation, Fluid Mechanics, Hydrology, Hydraulics and Introduction to Engineering Profession.
i. Assistant Lecturer University of Maiduguri 1998-2001
ii. Lecturer II 2001-2003
iii. Lecturer I 2003- 2008
iv. Senior Lecturer October, 2008-2011
v. Reader 2011-2016
vi. Professor 2016-Date

Research
18 years of research experience in the field of Soil and Water Engineering and supervision of undergraduate Students and 3 years’ experience in the supervision of Post-graduate Students.
d. Rector, Ramat Polytechnic, Maiduguri 2011-2015
Responsibilities
Chief Executive Officer- Responsible for the general Administration of the Institution
H. UNIVERSITY SERVICE
1. Secretary Departmental Board of Agric. Engineering
University of Maiduguri 2000-2004
2. Member Faculty Board of Agriculture, representing
Faculty of Engineering, University of Maiduguri 2003-Date
3. Member Faculty Board of Engineering
University of Maiduguri 2000-Date
4. SIWES Coordinator, Department of Agric.
and Environmental Engineering 2000-2011
5. Member Engineering Workshop Rehabilitating Committee 2003
6. Staff Adviser (Students) Faculty of Engineering 2002-2011
7. Staff Adviser to the Borno State Students Union 2005-2011

8. Departmental Examination Officer 2008-2010
9. Deputy Dean, Faculty of Engineering University of Maiduguri 2010
10. Acting Dean Faculty of Engineering, University of Maiduguri, 2011

I. OTHER EXPERIENCES
1. One year national youth service corps in Katsina
Polytechnic as a Teacher 1994-1995
2. Service Provider on (Irrigation) and soil/water to Borno,
Yobe and Zamfara State Fadama development program. 2006-2013
3. Member, Governing Council, Ramat Polytechnic Maiduguri. 2009-2011
4. Consultant to the World Bank on a Study “Capitalization on
Small Scale Irrigation Project in West Africa; Mali,
Burkina Faso, Niger and Nigeria” September,2009-11
5. Consultant to International Water Management (IWMI)
On the Review of Irrigation Situation in Nigeria. 2010.
6. Resource Person to IFPRI for the Development of Study
Methodology on Irrigation and Mechanization in Nigeria. 2011
7. Consultant to the World Bank Nigerian Fadama 3 project on
Independent Assessment of the project activity at mid- term 2012
8. Co-chairman with UNDP Sector working group on Early Recovery Intervention Borno State.
9. Head, Implementing Partner for the Japan/UNDP Early Recovery and Social Cohesion Project 2016/2017.
10. Head, Empowerment and Livelihoods Support for the Victims of Boko Haram Insurgency in North-East Project 2016/2017. (JAPAN/UNDP Project)
11. Borno State Focal Person for the Recovery and Peace Building Assessment by WB, EU, UN and Government of Nigeria.
12. Borno State Focal Person on Post-RPBA activities by WB, EU, UN and Government of Nigeria.
13. Member National Steering Committee on the Implementation of the EU Support to Response, Recovery and Resilience Project in Borno State.
14. Chairman Technical Implementation Committee on the Implementation of EU-GIZ Resilience Projectg in Borno State.
15. Member Presidential Committee on handing over of Liberated Communities to Civil Authorities in Borno State.

16. Consultant on Capacity Building and Advisory Services Training of the FADAMA III World Bank Project to Fadama Users in Yobe State (2011-2013)
17. Consultant on Capacity Building and Advisory Services Training of the FADAMA III World Bank Project to Fadama Users in Kano State (2011-2013)
18. Consultant on Capacity Building and Advisory Services Training of the FADAMA III World Bank Project to Fadama Users in Zambara State (2011-2013)
J. EXTERNAL EXAMINATIONSHIP
1. External Examiner, Department of Agricultural Technology,
Ramat Polytechnic, Maiduguri. 2008-2011
2. External Examiner, Department of Agricultural,
Federal Polytechnic Bauchi 2011-Date

K. MEMBERSHIP OF PROFESSIONAL BODIES
i. Member Nigerian Society of Engineers Reg.no.10, 683
ii. Member Nigerian Institution of Agricultural Engineers M673/1999
iii. Registered Engineer (COREN) R.13773
iv. American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers Reg.No.10465336

L. COUNTRIES VISITED
1. United States of America
2. United Arab Emirates (UAE)
3. Canada
4. Spain
5. China
6. Saudi Arabia
7. Pakistan
8. Niger
9. India
10. Turkey
11. Zambia
12. Uganda
13. Gambia, The
14. Tanzania
15. Ghana
16. Burkina Faso
17. Mali

M. PUBLICATIONS WITH DATE
i. Journal Papers
1. Umara B., Yaji and A. Fannami (2004). Groundwater contamination in Damaturu, Nigeria. AZOJETE. Vol. 4: 45-51.
2. Babagana Umara, Jibrin Musa Dibal, Abubakar K. Isa (2007). Quality analysis of water from river Kumadugu for human consumption and irrigation sustainability. Journal of life and environmental sciences, Vol. 9(1.): 521-526.
3. Baba Gana, Jibrin M. Dibal and Andrew Jigumtu Kaya (2007): Intensity-Runoff Relationship on a Plot for Application in water harvesting in Semi-Arid Borno, Nigeria. J. Arid Agric. 17: 117-122.
4. J. M. Dibal, A. Dauda and B. Umara (2008). Benefit-cost analysis of potato irrigation scheduling in Samaru-Zaria, Nigeria. al-Mahram Journal of Trans-Saharan Studies, Unimaid. Vol. 4 (2).
5. A. S. Abdullahi, B.G. Umara, F.A. Adeniji, S. M. Musa and A. L.E. Mofoke (2009). The Influence of some soil properties on saturated hydraulic conductivity of soils in Maiduguri, Nigeria. JAET. Vol. 17 (1).
6. Umara B., A.U. Kawuyo and M.A. Yusufari (2010). Design of Waste Water Stabilization Pond for the University of Maiduguri. Arid Zone Journal of Engineering and Environment. Vol. 7: 67-77.
7. Jibrin M. Dibal, Babagana Umara, Habib Alkali and A. Abdullahi (2010). Response of Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) in Semi-Arid Nigeria. Continental J. Agricultural Science. 4: 48-53.
8. Jibrin Musa Dibal, Baba Gana Umara and Yalwale Bashir Alhaji (2010). Effect of Mulching, Compaction and Irrigation Scheduling on the Performance of Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) in a Semi-Arid Climate. International Journal of Agriculture, Vol. 2. (4).
9. B. G. Umara, A. S. Abdullahi and J. M. Dibal (2010). Re-advocating water harvesting for improved crop production in semi-arid Nigeria. Journal of Environmental Research and Policies, Vol. 5 (4)
10. Messers Umara B.G. Audu I, Ogedingbe K; Omobowale (2010). Development of Bamboo (Oxyttenanthera abyssinica) stem as irrigation pipe. Journal of Applied Science Engineering and Technology. Vol. 6 (1).
11. B. G. Umara, Y, Z. A. Gaji and J. M. Dibal (2010). Determination of water quality from wash bores in Nguro-Soye village for irrigation suitability. International Journal of Civil Engineering, Vol. 2 (1).
12. B.G. Umara, A. S. Mohammed and J. M. Dibal (2011). Evaluation of surface and ground water of Maiduguri, Nigeria for heavy metals toxicity. International Journal of Pure and Applied Science. Vol. 4 (1).
13. Dobboi Umar and Baba Gana Umara (2011). Solar energy for community development in north-east zone of Nigeria. International Journal of Pure and Applied Science, Vol. 4 (2).
14. Ali Umar Bashir, Babagana Umara and Jibrin Dibal (2011). Effects of organic matter on aggregate stability of some agricultural soils in semi arid region of Nigeria. International Journal of Engineering. Vol. 3 (3).
15. Ali Umar Bashir, Kola Ogedengbe and Babagana Umara (2011). Comparative effects of irrigation methods on the growth and yield of maize cultivars in semi arid Nigeria. International Journal of Agriculture, Vol. 3 (6): 2251-0222.
16. B. G. Umara, J. M. Dibal (2011). Variation of physical properties of Bamboo (Oxytenanthera abyssinica) stem along the culm height. Inter. Jour. Of Engineering. Vol 5 (2): 71-79.
17. B. G. Umara, F. A. Adeniji (2011). Analysis of the strength properties of Bamboo (Oxytenanthera abyssinica) stem. Global Jour. Of Engg. & Tech. Vol. 4 (2).
18. B. G. Umara, I. Audu and A. U. Bashir (2011): Performance evaluation of Bamboo (Oxytenanthera abyssinica) low cost micro irrigation lateral system. ARPN Journal of Engineering and Applied Sciences. Vol. 6 (5).
19. B. G. Umara, M.M. Aliyu, B.A. Umaru and A.S. Abdullahi (2012). Comparison of Four Empirical Models for Estimating Crop Evapotranspiration in Semi-Arid Nigeria. Australian Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences. 26-32.
20. B. G. Umara, A.D. Manasseh, A.B. Umaru and Abdullahi Abubakar Sadiq (2012). Potential of Plastic Drinking Straw as Emitters in Micro Irrigation Drip System Component. Australian Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences. 51-56.
21. A.B. Umaru, Y.I. Tashiwa, B.G. Umara, S.Y. Buba, A.H. Hong, A.S. Abdullahi (2012). Extent and remedy on gully erosion in Bangshika Area Adamawa State, Nigeria. Academic Research Journal International. 138-144.
22. Abdullahi AS, Ahmad D, and Umara B.G. (2012). Water Storage and use method in rural communities of Bauchi State, Nigeria. International Journal of Agricultural Sciences. Vol. 2(6). Xxx
23. Abdullahi AS, Ahmad D, and Umara Babagana (2012). Influence of lime materials to ameliorate acididy on irrigated paddy fields: A review. Academic Research Journal 3(1)413-420.
24. B.G Umara, Sangodoyin A.Y. and J.M. Dibal (2013). In-depth evaluation of potentials and utilization of ground water in north-eastern sub-region of Nigeria. International Journal of Advanced Scientific and Technical Research. 3:88-103.

25. F.A. Adeniji, B.G. Umara, J.M. Dibal, K.A. Otobo (2013). Determination of Compaction Characteristics of Maiduguri Soil. International Journal of Emerging Technology and Advanced Engineering. 3: 478-482.
26. F.A. Adeniji, B.G. Umara, J.M. Dibal, K.A. Otobo (2013). Determination of the Characteristic Particle Diameter of a road construction soil using intrinsic permeability formula. International Journal of Emerging Technology and Advanced Engineering. 3: 471-482.
27. B.G. Umara, A.T. Abdulrahim, Jibrin Musa Dibal and B.B. Shuwa (2013).Water Supply in Maiduguri: An Engineering Point of view. International Journal of Advanced Scientific and Technical Research. 3:80-87
28. Umara, BG., A.S. Abdullahi, J.M. Dibal and D. Ahmad (2013). Effect of Salts concentration on emergence and growth of Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) in Tropical Areas. International Journal of Engineering and Innovative Technology (IJEIT) 3(2).
29. F.A. Adeniji, B.G. Umara, J.M. Dibal and Obakplor, S.A. (2013). Water retention as a function of fine fraction of soil in a semi-arid environment. Australian Journal of Basic and Applied Science, 78(8):514-518.
30. Jibrin Musa Dibal, Baba Gana Umara and Ngwani, P.M (2013). Effect of Soil Compaction, Compost and Slopes on Runoff, Soil and Nutrient Losses Under a Simulated Rainfall In A Semi-Arid Environment. Biological and Environmental Sciences Journal for the Tropics. 10(3):219-224.
31. B.G. Umara, J.M. Dibal and I.U, Izuchukwu (2013). Determination of some mechanical and hydraulic properties of Biu Clayey soils, Nigeria. IJMER. Vol. 3 (5): 3281-3284.
32. J.B. Dibal, B.G. Umara and Rimanungra (2013). Water intake characteristics of different soil types in southern Borno Nigeria. International Journal of Science Inventions Today. Vol. 2(5): 502-509.
33. U.A. Kawuyo, B. Umara, A.A. Atiku and V.V. Simon (2013). Effect of tillage depth on tractor fuel consumption using off-set Disc harrow in sandy loam soil. Continental J. Engineering Science. 8 (2): 22-27
ii. Papers in Conference Proceedings and Seminars
1. Baba Gana Umara (2002): Groundwater contamination in Maiduguri, Konduga and Bama Towns of Borno State. University of Maiduguri, Faculty of Engineering, Seminar Series Vol. 2 (1).
2. Jibrin M. Dibal, Abdu Dauda and Baba Gana Umara (2006). Irrigation and the Society: A Review. University of Maiduguri, Faculty of Engineering Seminar Series. Vol. 4 (1).

3. B.G. Umara, A. U. Bashir and K.D. Maina (2010): Initial investment cost of a bamboo (Oxytenanthera 4abyssinica) micro irrigation stem. Proceeding of the fifth International Conference on Scientific and Industrial Studies Vol. 5 (5), Indoor theatre, University of Abuja FCT., Nigeria.
4. Jibrin Musa Dibal Babagana Umara and Gonimi, B.A. (2011): Effect of tillage systems and wood-chips mulching on the physical and hydraulic properties of sandy loam soil in a semi-arid environment. Proceedings of Sixth International Conference on Scientific and Industrial Studies. Arts Theatre Complex Auditorium, Benin State University Markudi, Nigeria. Vol. 6 (1).
5. Mohammed Yaji and Baba Gana Umara (2011). Predicting crop water requirement for onion (Allum cepa) using Blaney Griddle method in semi-arid Borno State. Proceedings of International Conference on Science and Sustainable Development. Porto Novo, Republic of Benin. Vol. 1 (10). pp141-147.
6. I.A. Sodangi, S. D. Joshua and B.G. Umara (2011): Growth, yield and weed suppressing ability of soybean (Glycine max (L.) merril) as influence by inter-row spacing at Maiduguri, Nigeria. Proceedings of the International Conference on Science and Sustainable Development. Vol. 2 (4). Sale Visuelle University Nationale Du Benin Abomey-Calaxyl Cotonou, Republic of Benin.
7. B.G. Umara, K.K. Katibi and F. A. Adeniji (2013). Estimation of seepage losses in irrigation canal: A case study of Gashua minor irrigation project Gashua, Yobe State, Nigeria. Proceedings of International Conference on Sustainable Development. 11 (4): 89-92.

M. LEARNED CONFERENCES/WORKSHOPS/ SEMINARS ATTENDED TO DATE
1. Grantee Global Forum, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Dubai, 30th October to 3rd November, 2017
2. National Directorate of Employment, Entrepreneurship Development Programme held at Katsina, 21st-25th November, 1994.
3. Locally available feeds for livestock, workshop organized by Borno State Government, 1997.
4. Fourth International Conference of the Nigerian Institution of Agricultural Engineers held in Damaturu, Nigeria. September, 2003.
5. Nigerian Institution of Agricultural Engineers Conference: Damaturu, 2003
6. 16th COREN Engineering Assembly held in Abuja, Nigeria, September, 2007.

7. 17th COREN Engineering Assembly held in Abuja, Nigeria, September, 2008.
8. 18th COREN Engineering Assembly held in Abuja, Nigeria, August, 2009
9. Sensitization Workshop for Service Providers by the National Fadama Development Project, Borno held at Conference Centre, Borno State Ministry of Women Affairs, Maiduguri, Nigeria, 2006.
10. Psychosocial Skills Training Workshop for Representatives of Community-Based Organizations and Care Givers under the Global Fund Round 5 OVC Project, held in Lagos on 23rd-27th November, 2005.
11. Fourth Annual Conference of IRDI Research and Development Network held on May 5-8, 2009 at the Conference centre, University of Lagos, Nigeria.
12. Third African Regional Conference on Sustainable Development held on July 14-16, 2009 at the Coomassie Hall, Imo State University, Owerri, Nigeria.
13. International Workshop on Capitalization of Lesson Learnt in Small Scale Private Irrigation Development in West Africa held on September 23-26, 2009 at Pacific Hotel, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
14. National Workshop on Small Scale Private Irrigation Development in Nigeria held on 2nd November, 2009 at Staff Development Centre, Independence Way off Airport Road, Kano, Nigeria.
15. Third African Regional Conference on Irrigation and Drainage held in Bamako, 29-5th Dec., 2011 Funded by National Fadama project.
16. Nigerian Institute of Agric. Engineers Conference: Buachi, 2012.
17. Nigerian Society of Engineers Conference Ilorin, 2012.
18. Nigerian Association of Technologists in Engineering (NATEWEX Lagos) 2013
19. Nigerian Association of Technologists in Engineering (CONFOTECH Lagos) 2013

N. CURRENT RESEARCH AREAS
1. Soil, Water and Atmospheric Pollution.
2. Participatory Irrigation Management.
3. Development of low-cost technology for sustainable Irrigation Development.
4. Integrated Strategies for Improved Crop Production in Semi Environment.
5. Renewable Energy for Sustainable Development

O. DISSERTATION AND THESIS
1. Development of Bamboo stem (Oxytenanthera abyssinian) for use in low-cost Micro Irrigation System. (Ph.D. Thesis).
2. In-depth Evaluation of Potentials and Utilization of Groundnut in North- East Sub-Saharan Nigeria (M.Sc. Thesis).
3. Drying of Tomato (Lycopersium esculentum), B.Eng. Project

P. NAMES AND ADDRESSES OF REFEREES
1. H. E. Alhaji Kashim Shettima
Executive Governor,
Borno State

2. Professor A. Y. Sangodoyin
Department of Agricultural & Environmental Resources Engineering,
University of Maiduguri.

3. Abdulkadir Kadai Usman
Federal Ministry of Finance,
FCT, Abuja

4. Dr. Abdu Dauda
Head of Department,
Department of Agricultural & Environmental Resources Engineering,
University of Maiduguri.

History

Late Prof. Haruna Wakili: A Legacy of Scholarship, Service, and Integrity

Published

3 weeks ago

June 3, 2025

Nigerian Tracker

By Dr. Yau Muhammad

Professor Haruna Wakili (1960–2020) was a distinguished Nigerian academic, historian, and public servant whose contributions to education and governance left an indelible mark on both Bayero University, Kano (BUK), and Jigawa State.

Early Life and Academic Pursuits

Born in June 1960 in Rumfa word, Hadejia, Jigawa State, Prof. Wakili began his educational journey at Government Teachers College, Dutse, obtaining his Grade II Certificate in 1980. He proceeded to Bayero University, Kano, where he earned a B.A. in History in 1985, graduating as the best student in his department and receiving the Prof. M.A. Al-Hajj Memorial Prize and the Prof. Michael Crowder Prize for excellence in modern African history. He further obtained an M.A. in History in 1989 and a Ph.D. in 1998 from the same institution. In 2004, he expanded his academic horizons by earning a certificate in American History from New York University, USA .

Academic and Administrative Roles at Bayero University

Prof. Wakili commenced his academic career at BUK in 1990 as an Assistant Lecturer in the Department of History. Over the years, he rose through the ranks, becoming a Professor and Head of the Department. He was notably the only individual to serve twice as Director of the Aminu Kano Centre for Democratic Research and Training (Mambayya House), where he spearheaded significant research initiatives and promoted democratic studies . In 2018, he was appointed Deputy Vice Chancellor (Administration), a role he held until his passing in 2020 .

Commissioner for Education in Jigawa State

Between 2010 and 2015, Prof. Wakili served as the Commissioner for Education, Science, and Technology in Jigawa State under Governor Sule Lamido’s administration. During his tenure, he was instrumental in transforming the state’s educational landscape. His notable achievements include the establishment of Sule Lamido University in Kafin-Hausa, aimed at expanding higher education access for the state’s residents . He also oversaw the construction and renovation of schools, enhancement of teacher welfare, and implementation of training programs to improve educational standards .

Scholarly Contributions and Mentorship

An accomplished historian, Prof. Wakili specialized in the study of riots, revolts, conflicts, and peace studies in Nigeria. His doctoral thesis focused on the phenomenon of riots and revolts in Kano. He authored several publications, including “Turawa A Kasar Hadejia: Karon Hadejiyawa da Turawan Mulkin Mallaka” and “Religious Pluralism and Conflict in North Western Nigeria, 1970–2000” . Known for his intellectual rigor and integrity, he emphasized original research and was a staunch advocate against plagiarism. His mentorship inspired many students to pursue academic excellence and critical thinking .

Legacy and Tributes

Prof. Wakili passed away on June 20, 2020, at the National Hospital in Abuja after a prolonged illness. His death was deeply mourned across academic and political communities. BUK’s Vice Chancellor, Prof. Muhammad Yahuza Bello, lauded him as a dedicated scholar and administrator . Former Governor Sule Lamido described him as an epitome of humility and selfless service . The Emir of Hadejia, Alhaji Adamu Abubakar Maje, remembered him as a close confidant and a man devoted to humanity .

Prof. Haruna Wakili’s life was characterized by unwavering commitment to education, scholarly excellence, and public service. His contributions continue to inspire and shape the academic and educational landscapes in Nigeria.
Allah ya jikan Mallam da rahama. Ameen thumma Ameen.
Wassalam

History

History, Identity, and the Unexpected Echoes of Ancestry”-Dokaji

Published

3 weeks ago

June 2, 2025

Nigerian Tracker

Huzaifa Dokaji

By Huzaifa Dokaji

About 2 years ago, a good friend of mine who works and lives in the UK engaged me in a conversation about the history of Northern Nigeria. The discussion moved from topic to topic until we ventured to the Sokoto Jihad. After several exchanges, we agreed to create a Clubhouse room to discuss texts written by the Sokoto Jihadists. One of the most fascinating conversations we had focused on the intellectual exchange between Sokoto and Borno, or more precisely, between Sultan Bello and al-Kanemi. Like my friend, I found much of al-Kanemi’s reasoning compelling, except his argument that people should only preach against social and political corruption. To me, that view felt overly idealistic and did not align with the broader Islamic impetus.

My friend grew increasingly critical and more interested in the subject. The engineer in him wanted to understand how, to borrow from Prof. Samaila Suleiman Yandaki, the Sokoto history machine produced and disseminated its narratives of rebellion and legitimacy. We agreed and disagreed, but always in pursuit of the truth, elusive and debatable as it was. That was possible perhaps because neither of us was blinded by ethnic fetishism.

I must add that when all those conversations were going on, my friend felt his connection to that history was merely a result of geography and faith. He often tried to discuss it as a detached observer, carefully framing his questions to me as someone he considered a legacy of the very history we were scrutinizing.

Not long ago, my friend reached out with what was definitely an exciting and shocking news to him. He had taken one of those ancestry DNA tests, and the result showed he was Fulani. Through the company’s database, he identified and reconnected with a relative. Since they were both in the UK, they met and had a fruitful discussion, and to my friend’s astonishment his paternal descent goes back directly to Abdullahi b. Fodio.

This discovery, while exhilarating for him, also unsettled the very framework through which he had previously engaged with history. It blurred the line between the observer and the subject, raising questions about belonging, identity, and the burden of historical legacy. A realization hit him that in this part of the world, ethnicity is never just about bloodlines or surnames; it is a contested space shaped by memory, politics, and perception. My friend’s new discovery did not simply anchor him to a lineage; it dragged him into a narrative that is still very much alive, one that shapes contemporary anxieties, resentments, and aspirations.

His realization took us back into a discussion we had on Club House on the dangers of simplistic historical, or more correctly, political narratives. As we debated at the time, I argued that the past was never the neat category some would have us believe. The story of Ali Aisami makes this clear. Permit me to digress a little.

Ali Aisama was a Kanuri man who was forced to flee his town after it fell to the Jihadists. After his parents died, and he married his surviving sister off to his father’s friend, he sought refuge with another family friend in a Shuwa Arab town. One night, while returning from a nearby town, he was kidnapped by Fulani slavers. The following day, they sold him to Hausa slavers in Ngololo market, about 55 miles from the town of Shagou.

The Hausa slavers fettered him and marched him for 22 days to Tsangaya, a village southeast of Kano and known at the time for its dates. From there, he was moved to Katsina and later to Yawuri, where he was sold to the Borgawa. His new Borgu master took him home, and put iron fetters on him day and night until he finally sold him to a Katunga (Yoruba) king/prince in old Oyo.

The king/prince mistook Ali Aisami’s tribal marks for royal ones (since they look like Yoruba royal marks), and treated him honorably. However, after the jihad broke out in Ilorin, out of fear that Ali Aisami might join his Muslim brethren, he was taken to Dahomey and sold to European slave dealers. Eventually, he was freed by British anti-slavers and resettled in Sierra Leone, where he converted to Christianity and adopted the name William Harding.

Ali Aisami’s journey across ethnic, political, and religious boundaries show that 19th-century Northern Nigeria was more complicated than comtemporary narratives suggest. His story, like many others, disrupts the simplistic binaries that often dominate discussions of the 19th century—binaries that cast certain groups primarily as victims and others as aggressors or perpetrators. In reality, such roles were fluid, reversible, and deeply embedded in broader social institutions, particularly slavery. Although Ali Aisami was Kanuri, a group that were said to enslave Hausa and other less powerful groups, Aisami himself was enslaved by Fulani captors, sold to Hausa slave traders, and passed through a complex chain of transactions that involved the Borgawa, Yoruba royalty, and eventually European slave dealers.

More surpringsly, the Borgawa and the Hausa (recently framed as “helpless” victims in the midst of Kanuri and especially Fulani imperialists) were at different moments and in different contexts, complicit in the same systems of exploitation. Narratives like Ali Aisami’s compel us to rethink ethnic identity not as a fixed or moral category but as one embedded in larger structures of power, commerce, and survival.

Furthermore, they also reveal how the legacy of the Sokoto Caliphate cannot be read solely through the lens of ideological or religious transformation, but must also be situated within the material realities of slavery, warfare, and shifting political alliances. In this sense, Aisami’s life not only humanizes the abstract forces of the 19th century. It reminds us that historical agency often operated within morally ambiguous frameworks, where perpetrators and victims could inhabit the same position at different moments.

My point here is it is not intellectually helpful to see the jihad starkly as a war between right and wrong (as its protagonists do) nor dryly as the victimization of a certain group (as its antagonists do). Rather, it is more productive to approach 19th-century Northern Nigeria as a site of competing visions, shifting alliances, and intersecting hierarchies, in which individuals and groups navigated complex moral, economic, and spiritual terrains. This requires moving beyond essentialist readings that reduces history into tidy moral tales or ethnic scorecards. It calls for a method attentive to contradiction, nuance, and context. Only such an approach allows us to hold multiple interpretations at once: that perhaps, the jihad did led to religious and intellectual reform, and at the same time brought about new systems of enslavement and exclusion.

It is this methodological caution, grounded in a critical reading of sources and a suspicion of inherited and currently promoted narratives, that enables a fuller, more honest reckoning with the past. Here, the past is treated not as gold or garbage, but as a tangled emblem of value and ruin.

Anyways, the end of the gist is that after a Fulani Professor here in the US told me his ancestry DNA revealed strong Yoruba ties, I decided to send mine in to know where I fit. Who knows what I will turn out to be. I mean, it might not be a coincidence that I was almost born in Lagos and somehow vibe effortlessly with Yoruba people. Maybe it’s in the blood, or maybe, it’s just being Professor Aderinto’s mentee, I developed a soft spot for amala and fuji music. We will know in few months.

Huzaifa Dokaji wrote from the United States of America

History

Today in History: Former Senate President Chuba Okadigbo Was Gassed To Death

Published

9 months ago

September 23, 2024

Nigerian Tracker

Late Dr Chuba Okadigbo

By Abbas Yushau Yusuf

On September 23, 2003, the vice-presidential candidate of the All Nigeria Peoples Party, Chief William Wilberforce Chuba Okadigbo, was allegedly gassed at Kano Pillars Stadium by security agents during a rally of the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), led by the opposition candidate in the 2003 general elections, General Muhammadu Buhari (retired).

The ANPP and its candidate, Muhammadu Buhari, staged the opposition rally at Sani Abacha Stadium as a prelude to their court case at the Presidential Election Tribunal in Abuja, led by Justice Umaru Abdullahi.

The rally, which had thousands of Buhari’s supporters in attendance, was graced by the new Governor of Kano State, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, his late Deputy, Engineer Magaji Abdullahi, Hajiya Najaatu Muhammad, and John Nwodo Junior.

The ANPP National Chairman, Chief Donald Etiebet, also attended the rally. However, apart from Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, the rest of the ANPP Governors were not in attendance, including Ahmad Sani Yerima of Zamfara, Adamu Aliero of Kebbi, the late Bukar Abba Ibrahim of Yobe, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff of Borno, and Attahiru Dalhatu Bafarawa of Sokoto.

Aware of Dr. Chuba Okadigbo’s health condition, the then Federal Government under Chief Olusegun Obasanjo did not want the rally to proceed. Security personnel mounted the entrance to Kano Pillars Stadium to prevent entry into the field until the Kano Governor, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, ordered the youth to break the gate, allowing the opposition figures to enter.

Upon entering the stadium, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau chastised his predecessor and the then Minister of Defence, Engineer Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, for not visiting Kano since handing over power on May 29, 2003. He referred to Kwankwaso as “Ministan tsoro,” meaning “Minister of Fear.”

On returning to Abuja, the late William Wilberforce Chuba Okadigbo died on Friday, September 25, 2003, following the alleged gassing by security agents at Kano Pillars Stadium.

Dr. Chuba Okadigbo was the political adviser to former President Shehu Shagari during the Second Republic. He hailed from Oyi Local Government in Anambra State.