“This is my first time of tasting this water,” Alhaji Abubakar Sule, the Tukura of Kontagora, confessed after taking gulps from a half-full large plastic cup handed over to him by Uthman, who had drunk his fill to quench his thirst, more for adventure than his physiological thirst. It was, then, the turn of Alhaji Aliyu Tahir. Alhaji Abubakar Bala, the Dallatu of Kontagora, would not taste it.
However, the foursome marveled at the water’s cleanliness, crystal clarity and taste, and the three Kontagora notables beamed with the pride of their domain possessing one of the most marvelous historical monuments across the entire Northern Nigeria still satisfying a most basic physiological need of the human communities around it, quenching their thirst for water.
Rijiyar Nagwamatse (Nagwamatse’s well), located at Tadali village less than 20 kilometers to Kontagora from Tegina, has contained this water since Malam Umaru Nagwamatse first scratched that exact spot with the fingers of his right hand and the water gushed from the bosom of the earth and collected for his contingent, some say his warriors, to use to perform ablution for the late afternoon (Asr) prayer, after returning from a peace mission, some say an expedition, over 150 years ago. The members of the contingent/warriors had first dispersed around in an unsuccessful search for any source of water for the purpose. Later, the villagers, who had had the problem of drinking water for long, dug a well to stop the water from flowing away.
More marvelous, it is said, is that the water has never gone above or below six feet level ever since, in spite of trucks of jerry-cans of it carried by water merchants from different locations within and outside Nigeria, especially on the belief that it cures female infertility and several other ailments, at different times in recent decades. The well has never dried up ever since, and it has never been dredged. The curing power of the water was observed by wayfarers about 100 years after the first time it was used by Umaru Nagwamatse and his contingent.
The Rijiya is one of the most notable legacies sculpting the entire heritage of the prince of the Sokoto Sultanate, mostly acclaimed as the most valiant prince in the history of the defunct 19th Century Caliphate. He founded the domain of the Sudan of Kontagora with his two sons, Abubakar Modibbo and Ibrahim Nagwamatse.
What are the other legacies of Malam Umaru Nagwamatse shaping his all-encompassing heritage, the domain of the Sudan of Kontagora?
“The establishment of the domain of the Sudan of Kontagora, which has endured in standing out across the larger domain of the defunct Caliphate in strength in most aspects of the Nigerian national life is the most significant legacy,” elderly Alhaji Aliyu Tahir, a prominent member of the Kontagora History and Development Committee began to list the legacies in the presence of the Tukura and the Dallatu, two other members of the committee.
“Other legacies,” Alhaji Aliyu continued, “were: The establishment of a peaceful environment which, in effect, boosted socio-economic activities in the area; the elimination of cultism and human sacrifice among the hitherto very many heathen primitive tribes populating the area; the establishment of peaceful coexistence among the various resident tribal communities; the establishment of freedom of movement and settlement in the area by willing tribes outside the domain; and freedom of worship which facilitated the rapid spread of Islam.”
How did Malam Umaru Nagwamatse and his two sons build the heritage of the domain of the Sudan of Kontagora, now under the sixth Sarkin Sudan, Alhaji Sa’idu Umaru Namaska? This means, first, knowing Nagwamatse, his two sons and their activities up to the death of Ibrahim in 1929, albeit according to the History and Development Committee, not according to historical discoursers in the broader scholastic sphere where, particularly Malam Umaru and Ibrahim were vilified by virtually all discoursers as aggressors and slave raiders.
“Malam Umaru Nagwamatse was the grandson of the Shehu Usman Danfodiyo (the founder of the Sokoto Caliphate). He was the tenth son of Abubakar Atiku Dan Shehu (Atiku the son of Shehu, the second Sultan of Sokoto). He was born at Wamakko near Sokoto in 1806,” Alhaji Aliyu Tahir began.
“Umaru grew up with the physique of valour, always brave and soldierly in his actions right from his childhood. It was not surprising then that when he grew up during the Jihad, wherever there were threats of incursions, especially by the Gobirawa carrying out raids into the land of Zamfara, he would be deployed there to ward them off. As a valiant, brave and successful soldier, he also possessed the gift of the natural pull on other warriors, so that wherever he was deployed, you would hear of warriors trooping in massive throngs to gather around him. This instilled fear in his brother princes, that with his soldiers coming from many lands, and his wealth, he could one day snatch the throne and deprive them of it. They, therefore, often planned for his redeployment back home to Sokoto from wherever he was deployed. But it was never in his character to be confined to a place without any activity befitting his soldierly disposition. When this was mischievously done to him about thrice, he concluded that his brother princes despised him,” Alhaji Aliyu narrated.
“So he hatched a peaceful plan to leave. He sought audience with the then Sultan Muhammadu Dan Bello, from whom he sought permission to visit his uncle, the then Emir of Gwandu, Malam Halilu. The Sultan permitted him. Unknown to them, he was leaving home. At that time, news had reached Sokoto that the sons of Malam Dendo (one of the flag bearers of the Shehu) were preparing to snatch power from Nufawa (the Nupe people) in the land of Nupe and establish Islamic administration there. When he went to his uncle in Gwandu, he narrated his entire ordeal with his brother princes and, therefore, because he was despised by them, he would want to proceed to the land of Nupe to help the sons of Malam Dendo in the Jihad. After the Jihad there, he would then return home to Sokoto with whatever spoils of war he could gather. That was his initial plan, and that was what brought him to this land,” the elderly palace historian narrated.
According to Alhaji Aliyu, “From Gwandu, Umaru Nagwamatse forayed to Birnin Gwari. It was there, he married the mother of Ibrahim. When he arrived in Birnin Gwari with his contingent, the Emir wouldn’t allow him to live within the walled city. He, rather, told him to erect his camp at a location outside the gates of the city. And the girl whom he married was sent everyday to take meals to him. Among his contingent was a Malam who, one of those days, mysteriously observed that her womb was fertile with a son who would help Nagwamatse establish a formidable domain and that the son would even conquer Birnin Gwari itself, the city into which he was barred from entering. The Malam advised him strongly that whenever they were proceeding to the land of Nupe, he, Nagwamatse, should accept nothing more than the girl as wife from the Sarki (Emir of Birnin Gwari) as parting gift. Umaru Nagwamatse suddenly planned to proceed immediately, and the Sarki and his chiefs were jubilantly surprised that he would accept nothing more than the girl as wife. They quickly acceded to his request and gave him her hand in marriage.”
Alhaji Aliyu quickly went further: “However, they later regretted doing so after another Malam, to whom she was also taking meals after serving Nagwamaste with his own, observed that several days after Nagwamatse’s departure, he saw no more of the girl taking meals to him. On enquiry, he was told that she had been married to Nagwamatse. The Malam warned them that her womb was fertile with a son who would conquer Birnin Gwari. They pursued Nagwamatse to reclaim the ‘gift’ they gave him. He wouldn’t return it to them. This girl gave birth to Ibrahim Nagwamatse. Ibrahim was born at Tashibo, near Lapai where Malam Umaru settled sojourned en route from Nasarawan Toto to the land of Nupe.”
After the deviation to give a little account of the significant event leading to the birth of Ibrahim, the Kontagora Emirate historian continued: “Umaru Nagwamatse had to go through Birnin Gwari in search of the safest route to the land of Nupe because this area, at that time, was a thick and impenetrable forest, and no traveler dared go through it anyhow. Right from Gummi (now in Zamfara State) through Birnin Gwari, to Gurara, to the land of Nupe up to Jebba, it was a vast thick forest populated by no other than umpteen smaller primitive tribes. It was such a thick forest that it had no roads and it was networked by streams and rivers, and rendered very dangerous by wild animals. It was such impenetrable that Kolanut and other merchants from Hausa land to Kurmi (the forest of the South) always had to form a group of 30 or 40 merchants before they could constitute a strong enough force to fight and defeat the ambushing hostile tribes and proceed to their destinations. Small groups of merchants, such as of five or seven merchants each, were always easily eliminated. Those primitive tribes were covering their nudities only with leaves and animal skins, and whenever they saw anyone wearing beautiful garments, they would know he was a stranger, and they would pounce at him, because they didn’t want to see anyone. They didn’t want anyone to even penetrate through their land, let alone live among them, to pollute their ways of life.
“When Umaru Nagwamatse got closer to the land of Nupe, he received news that the sons of Malam Dendo, Usman Zaki and Masaba, had become disunited on the sharing of titles whenever they established the Fulani dynasty. So, he was at sea over with whom, between the two, he would go and pitch tent. Just then, he received news that a Malam was waging Islamic wars in the land of Nasarawa (Nasarawan Toto) and he was carrying out raids in sections of the land of Ebira. So he suspended entering the now troubled land of Nupe and proceeded to Nasarawa to help that Malam. He had to suspend entering Nupe, fearing that should he go forth, his brothers in Sokoto would accuse him of engineering the trouble there and they would engineer his arrest. After his two-year sojourn in Nasarawa, according to his agreement with the Sarki of Nasarawa, Makama Dogo, he departed,” the seasoned Native Authority administrator narrated.
“He arrived at Lapai, at that time it was at Birnin Maza, not at its present site of Lapai. He settled in the Fulani settlement of Tashibo in the land of Lapai to monitor affairs in the land of Nupe. It was there, that he was able to settle the dispute between Usman Zaki and Masaba. Usman Zaki was defeated by the Nupe, and he fled to Gwandu. His younger brother, Masaba, had disagreement with the commander of his army, Umaru Bahaushe. They fought, and Umaru Bahaushe was able to pursue him out of the land, and he fled and sought refuge in Ilorin. Later, a grand resolution of the dispute was reached from Gwandu, with the arrangement that Usman Zaki became Emir while Masaba became heir-apparent. They both, therefore, reunited and settled back at home in the land of Nupe. Nagwamatse settled with them,” Alhaji Aliyu Tahir narrated.
“When Usman Zaki became Emir, he instructed Masaba to carry out raids in the land of Gwari, and that he should go with Nagwamatse. While they were in their battle camp near Minna, the sad news reached them that Usman Zaki had died. They immediately returned to the land of Nupe. Two days after, Masaba was enthroned as the second Emir of Nupe. Umaru Nagwamatse requested for a piece of land at the fringes of the land of Nupe from Masaba to erect his camp from where he would carry out some raids into the land of Gwari to gather enough spoils with which to return to Sokoto at the harvest season. Masaba permitted him to go to Bogi, near the present Wushishi, at that time there was no Wushishi. Soon after erecting his camp, warriors from all directions thronged there, including even the warriors of Umaru Bahaushe, who returned to the fold of Masaba after the death of their master through the reunification efforts of Nagwamatse. That was how the camp grew very large.
“With that large convergence of warriors, he conducted raids in the land of Gwari with the sole purpose of collecting spoils preparatory to returning home to Sakkwato. While he was at Shatta, Sultan Muhammadu Dan Bello died, and Nagwamatse’s elder brother, Ahmadun Atiku, popularly called Ahmadu Zuruku, was enthroned as Sultan. He had held Umaru Nagwamatse in severe awe ever since, and to bar Nagwamatse from returning home to constitute a threat to him, soon after his enthronement as Sultan, he announced the appointment of Umaru Nagwamatse as Sarkin Sudan. Sudan, at that time, meant this vast forest containing the umpteen primitive heathen hostile tribes. You may wish to call it a dark region in the fashion of colonialists describing Africa as the Dark Continent. He accepted the enthronement and he settled down to preparations to establish a full domain,” he recounted.
“In the process of establishing the domain of the Sudan of Kontagora, he told the tribal chiefs to coexist in peace and allow strangers to settle among them. He said: ‘I seek only this from you. I am not interested in your chieftaincy titles. Every one of you could maintain his throne. Any chief who endorses this peace treaty should henceforth collect tax from able-bodied adults with which I will feed these warriors around me, because they don’t farm, neither do they practice any other trade for livelihood.’ He has been accused of raids by historians. He was not the aggressor. The tribal chiefs were, because they often repudiated the terms of the peace treaty. He left his son, Abubakar Modibbo, to rule Wushishi and report any Gwari incursions immediately he learnt of them between there and Gurara. He then proceeded down here. The Gwari of Bosso and Minna, whenever they learnt that Umaru Nagwamatse was elsewhere, would revolt against the peace agreement, refusing to even pay the tax. Warriors would immediately be deployed there to quell the revolt and subdue them to submission,” Alhaji Aliyu recounted.
“It is not disputed that he arrested Gwari chiefs and took them to Sokoto or sold them, but they were the ones who the breached terms of peace and revolted against him. Did he arrest anyone at Paiko or Kuta or Salka? No! He did not arrest anyone there, because the chiefs there chose to go by the peace agreement. It is also not true that he sold people into slavery to be wealthy. He died without anything to show as wealth, apart from warriors and their weapons,” the Emirate historian argued.
“When the domain was established, it covered the land of Gwari, the land of Kamuku (Kagara), the land of Zuru and the border with Yauri. When the people of Borgu heard that Umaru Nagwamatse had established a war camp here, they hastened down here and declared their allegiance to him. So, history has shown that we have been together with the Bargawa ever since in strong fellowship. The domain shared borders with the land of Nupe,” he disclosed.
“Umaru Nagwamatse was always on the move with his warriors. He died leaving even this city of Kontagora as a small village with huts. How did the city derive its name? One version of history says that when, one day, they returned from a raid and were already in need of water, they reached this location, which is very close to the river. At that time the river was full to the brim and was overflowing its banks. When they beheld the river, they all shouted jubilantly: “Kowa ya kwanto gora, aje a debo ruwa!” (Everyone should untie his jug, and we should all go for the water there!). Another version says when they all raced into the river, each of them was jubilantly telling his jug: “Ke kwanta gora!” (Lie in the water, jug!). Yet another version says when they reached the present location of the city, instruction went round: “A kwantar da Gora!” (Lay down jugs! This implies: Let’s camp here). The first version is more plausible. Umaru Nagwamatse died on the move at a village near Anaba on a Sunday in 1876 at the age of 70. His tomb is at Mamba, in Nasko Local Government Area of Niger State,” Alhaji Aliyu narrated.
“Abubakar Modibbo was invited over to mount the throne. He reigned from 1876 to 1880. His reign was rather uneventful because he was at most times sick. Ibrahim Nagwamatse mounted the throne and reigned from 1880 to 1929. With 49 years on the throne, he was the longest reigning Sarkin Sudan of Kontagora. The white men came during his reign. After Ibrahim, came Umaru Maidubu, who reigned for 31 years from 1930 to 1961. He was followed by Mu’azu Ibrahim, who was on the throne for 13 years from 1961 to 1974. The reigning Alhaji Sa’idu Umaru Namaska has been on the throne since 1974,” the elderly historian narrated.
How did the British colonialists defeat Kontagora during the reign of Ibrahim Nagwamatse in 1903?
“When the white men (colonialists) arrived through Quarra/Kwara (River Niger), the then Sarkin Yauri, the domain nearer the river than Kontagora, immediately sent warning to the Sarkin Sudan, Ibrahim Nagwamatse, that the white men had arrived and that they should not pick arms against the white men because Shehu (Danfodiyo) had warned, about a century earlier, when he foresaw their coming, that no one should fight them because they possessed superior weapons,” Alhaji Abubakar Sule, the Tukura of Kontagora, narrated at the foot of the hill where the colonialists launched their attack on Kontagora in 1903, a location at the outskirts of the city.
He continued: “When the white men actually arrived at Kontagora and settled at the foot of this Farfarun Duwatsu (white limestone hill), they sent message to Ibrahim Nagwamatse notifying him of their arrival and warning to surrender peacefully and also stop slave raids. On receiving the message, Ibrahim Nagwamatse consulted with his chiefs, who were brave warriors from various lands, and reminded of the Shehu’s warning. They would hear nothing of that, arguing firmly that Kontagora should not surrender before a clash, although they admitted the white men had superior weapons.”
According to the Niger State retired Permanent Secretary, “battle was waged for six days at a stretch outside the gates of the city. The seventh day was a Friday. The Kontagora army didn’t come out to the battle field. The white men interpreted that to mean they, Kontagora army, were planning another strategy within the nine-gated city. The white men, therefore, fired a canon from Farfarun Duwatsu hill. The canon landed at the centre of the city. There was a huge pandemonium referred to in history as Fashewar Kontagora (the explosion of Kontagora). Everyone was fleeing. Sarkin Sudan Ibrahim would not flee, against the strong advice of his chiefs and warriors. They carried him forcefully and fled the city through Kofar Kudu (Southern gate). Ibrahim Nagwamatse and his warriors forayed northwards to the domain of Zazzau and camped right outside the gates of the city of Kaya.
“All the gates of the city were locked. The ruler of Kaya immediately reported to the Emir of Zazzau, who deployed warriors there, climbing up the wall of the city of Kaya and raining arrows on Nagwamatse’s camp, telling him to leave their land. This infuriated a servant of Nagwamatse, who possessed immense strength, to go and break one of the gates of the city, Ibrahim Nagwamatse gained entry and conquered it,” Tukura recounted.
“Nagwamatse then immediately planned vengeance against the Emir of Zazzau, sending warning to him to prepare, that he would soon be on his way to fight and conquer him. The Sarkin Zazzau immediately reported this warning to the missionaries, who reported it farther to Lugard at Zungeru. Subsequently, two white men and a black man were sent to Nagwamatse’s camp and, first unnoticed by his warriors, they went right inside his tent and handcuffed him. The handcuffed Sarkin Sudan calmed the now very angry noticing warriors against picking up arms, promising them that he would soon return. He was banished to Zungeru, from there to Adamawa, and then back to Lokoja where he was in the colonial prisons along with other captured Emirs of Northern Nigeria. He was released in 1929 and was returned to the throne of Kontagora as First Class Emir at a ceremony in Zungeru on the agreement that he would renounce the title of Sarkin Sudan and, henceforth, stop slave raids. He died shortly after,” Alhaji Abubakar narrated.
Umaru Nagwamatse’s Kontagora which, according to Alhaji Aliyu Tahir, is the grain store of Nigeria, has launched grand efforts to sustain the history and legacy of the grandson of the Shehu and his sons.
“We have become a force to be reckoned with in the annals of the affairs of Nigeria and we are agitating for Kainji State along with our very respected and admirable fellows right from the beginning of our history, the Bargawa (land of Borgu) and the Kamukawa (of Kagara),” Alhaji Aliyu announced.
This is a portrait of the heritage of Nagwamatse Dodon Gwari ( Nagwamatse, the Terror of Gwari).
