She took the bullet in defence of her husband. That was Hajiya Hafsatu bint Abdulkadir Maccido, the first wife of late Sardauna of Sokoto and premier of the then Northern Nigeria some 56 years ago, the immediate post independent era.
She fearlessly and bravely took a bullet for him, so he could survive. Thiers is a story of love, sacrifice, and commitment, to the extent of paying the ultimate price to save her husband. Such women of virtue are rare now. Hajiya Hafsat’s strong support for her husband no doubt would be propeller for Sir Ahmadu Bello, an experience that affirms the saying, “Behind every successful man, there’s a woman.”
Ahmadu Ibrahim Bello, Sardauna of Sokoto (12 June 1910 – 15 January 1966), knighted as Sir Ahmadu Bello, was a conservative Nigerian statesman who masterminded Northern Nigeria through the independence of Nigeria in 1960 and served as its first and only premier from 1954 until his assassination in 1966, in which capacity he dominated national affairs for over a decade.
He was also the leader of the Northern Peoples Congress, the ruling party at the time consisting of the Hausa-Fulani elite. He had previously been elected into the regional legislature and later became a government minister. A member of the Sokoto Caliphate dynasty, he made attempts at becoming Sultan of Sokoto before later joining politics.
Bello’s greatest legacy was the modernization and unification of the diverse people of Northern Nigeria.
Ahmadu Bello believed that every Nigerian, and all human beings are created equally, that they are endowed by God with rights among which are life, liberty, equal opportunity, blessings and the legitimate pursuit of happiness. Throughout his political career and before, he espoused high morality and intellectual virtues.
On 15 January 1966, Bello was assassinated by Major Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu an Igbo Nigerian Army officer in a coup which toppled Nigeria’s post-independence government. He was still serving as premier of Northern Nigeria at the time. This was the first coup in the history of Nigeria, which heralded the rise of the military in the country’s politics.
Also assassinated in the coup was his long time friend Alhaji Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa alongside many political elites in the north and in the west.
Bello had three wives at the time of his death. Hafsatu, his senior wife, died alongside him. He had three surviving daughters with another wife, Amina (Goggon Kano). His eldest daughter was Inno, followed by Aisha and Lubabatu.
Picture Credit, Tafidan Bichi, Alh Jamil Kabir.
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