From Ahmad S. Gimba, Potiskum
Colonialism began in this part of Africa which later was to become Nigeria, with the conquering and annexation of so many territories earlier ruled by Emirs and Chiefs. This colonialization changed history and made important landmarks.
Many territories of that time resisted the white man’s invasion but succumbed to his superiority and ability in war tactics and firepower. This desire for the invasion began with expeditions by adventurers and missionaries. Missionary activities of the time included administrative duties and trading besides religious propagation.
In 1900, the charter granted by England to Royal Niger Company to administer the territories within the Niger and Benue valleys was withdrawn. In its place, England declared the territories conquered by the Fulani as its protectorate; likewise southern Nigeria. In his response to it, the Sultan of Sokoto Attahiru in 1902 denounced such a move and resisted it. In 1903, an invading force led by General Kembal and Col. Morland joined in the battle for Sokoto on 15th March.
The fall of Sokoto, the capital of Sokoto Caliphate was perhaps the last but one major battle which terminated the Sokoto Caliphate as a sovereign State and conferred on the British victory over our people at Kotorkoshi, where the brave and pious Wazirin Kano who was at the head of the troops defending Sokoto was martyred, (killed by Lt, Wells who also took as trophies the Waziri’s sword and head-gear but which the Lieutenant subsequently returned to us in the 1950s for the Jos museum), the remnants of the forces returned to Mornona (north of Sokoto) under the leadership of Muhammad Al-Bukhari Al-Wazir B. Ahmad.
Waziri Buhari was a leader of exceptional fortitude, knowledge, and forbearance. As a rational person, he consciously sought to cover what action he took or proposed to take by the stamp of authority and reason and by the considered opinion of learned persons.
After due consultation, he readily recognized and accepted the fact that it was impossible for the entire community to migrate (Hijra) to the Holy Lands. Clearly, it was beyond reason to assume otherwise.
For one, the spread and presence of Christians everywhere along the route was absolute. Provisions could not be procured easily. The heat was excessive at that time and there was no water en route on some of the stretches.
To protect his name for the role he was playing and in order that the account and tragedy of the time received faithful documentation for history, the responsibility of leadership forced on him the composition of “Risala” which he dispatched to Imam Abd al-Qadir, the scholar and teacher at Gwandu.
Imam Abdulqadir agreed with the course of action Waziri Buhari had chartered; and on meeting Lugard, Buhari received the assurances that the British did not intend to interfere with the Muslims and Islam. According to him, “I wrote a letter to the Chief of the Christians and awaited his reply at Dinawa”.
On his part, Sultan Attahiru had retreated from the battlefield and headed east on his way to Mecca in his attempt to embark on migration (Hijra). He made a sojourn at the foot of Bima hills south of Fika on river Gongola, and the settlement of Bormi grew.
The mounted infantry of British troops from Zaria was following the Sultan Attahiru up to Fika, on 22nd April 1903 they temporarily dispersed his followers. The Sultan, however, reached Malala a large town and then to Bormi. His following merged with those that constituted M. Jibrilla’s army (M. Jibrilla attempted to take over Zayi town, but was earlier displaced by the British).
The first attack on 13th May was repulsed with a heavy casualty. Sultan Attahiru then moved to Gwani. On 20th May a military detachment that left Gujba surprised Attahiru’s camp at Gwani, routed them and captured their baggage. Attahiru retired to Bormi and was joined by Bubawa (Buba Yero’s followers), Galadima of Akko, Sarkin Hashidu and others, and in June the British concentrated at Ashaka.
On 27th July in 1903 Bormi was attacked and taken. The Muslims lost nearly seven hundred men, killed among them was Sultan Attahiru, Magaji of Keffi and other nobilities. Emir Ahmadu of Misau escaped and reached Sonnar in Sudan. The Galadima of Ako some of Bubawa’s leaders and Sarkin Bormi (Jibrilla’s son) were captured.
It is recalled that when the Sultan of Sokoto was seeking a venue for his sojourn, he journeyed through via Fika. He received provisions and proceeded south. He continued to receive the support of Moi Sule of Fika and even when war became imminent, aid was sent to him.
So when the British finished with Bormi, they arrived at Fika August 1903. They requested Moi Sule’s abdication but he was adamant. There was nearly a showdown as war drums were beaten, but Imam Abbas B. Abubakar, the Khadi of Fika of that time, advised the Emir to agree to it, and the war was averted.
The British were good enough to assure the Moi that his son would be appointed. Maina Idrissa Kura was later appointed meanwhile his father was exiled to Monguno and later Ngamdu where he lived and died.
Culled from Ajabul Aja’ib
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