Re: Life of Momoh, Auchi’s first Muslim king

It is not true that Oba Momodu of Agbede was the first to embrace Islam or to agree that Momoh brought Islam to his people, but I will rather acquiesce that he played a role in the continued Islamization of Auchi. Evidences abound in Northern Gazettes and the works of Prof. S.F. Nadel, A Black […]

It is not true that Oba Momodu of Agbede was the first to embrace Islam or to agree that Momoh brought Islam to his people, but I will rather acquiesce that he played a role in the continued Islamization of Auchi. Evidences abound in Northern Gazettes and the works of Prof. S.F. Nadel, A Black Byzantium which show that Islamization of “Kukuruku” areas which comprises Etsakor and part of Esan today pre-dated those dates quoted in the article.
There is no way that history of “Kukuruku” division can be written without the influence or role played by Nupe kingdom, let alone Auchi, a fragment and a modicum of sort within the larger Kukuruku division. The holy war and Islamization of the Kukuruku by Nupe was led by one Nupe Prince, Shaba Mahmud. The Crowned Prince, Mahmud was the second son of King Masaba who reigned twice, because there was a period of interregnum. His first term as Estu (king) of Nupe was between (1841 and 1847), while his second term (1859-1873). During his second term around 1865, King Masaba sent an expedition to capture Benin kingdom and his son, Mahmud was to lead the group. The Oba of Benin Adolo (1848-1888) was informed by his oracle through his Chief Priest and the Oba organized his high-chiefs led by Iyase of Benin to meet with the Jihadists around Agbede area to strike a deal, so that they should not enter Benin kingdom. The bottom line of the treaty was that the warriors could with impunity Islamize the areas from Agbede down to the mouth of River Niger at Agenebode.
The ravaging and plundering of these areas continued until they brought the whole Kukuruku under Nupe kingdom and this remained a vassal state of Nupe Kingdom until 1888 when the Colonial Masters came on the scene to put an end to war and slavery.
The holy war brought Islam to the Afemai devoid of idol worshipping, changed their ways of life, their mode of dressing, slight change in their language as some words of Nupe were borrowed. Example of these words are oshaka (trousers) wun (catch him) and owo (shirt). In Nupe these are tsaka, wun and ewo. Other examples are names: “Mamman” in Nupe, while in Auchi is “Momoh” “Mahmudu” in Nupe, in Auchi “Momodu.”
Oba Momodu was named after the great Shaba Mahmud of Bida.
The first Prof. of History in Nigeria, Jacob Festus Ade Ajayi, said “that the Fulani incursion from Nupe had almost dismembered the Afemai (Kukuruku) part of the Benin Empire.”
The Afemai took refuge at the Mountain’s top during the holy war, which came to an end with arrival of the whites who brought them down. The Nupe succeeded in creating an all-encompassing Islamic society with their representative of Mahmud as leader. In the war camp Hausa language used to be the official language, so in Auchi whenever a meeting was to take place at the Palace, the town crier would go round chanting “Ataru, Sarki ya ce Ataru.” Meaning, everybody should converge. The Nupe declined to continue with the leadership at the advent of the whites but advised that the new leader should be chosen from the aborigine Afemais, the uncle of Momoh was chosen and Momoh took the baton of leadership from him after his demise in 1919. Instead of Momoh’s uncle to take the title of Oba or Ata, he chose to be known as “Ataru” which he thought means leader in Hausa and with passage of time Ataru became corruptly known as Otaru of Auchi.
But even before the advent of Nupe, Kukuruku had a pocket of chiefs under the Oba of Benin. These potentates are: Ogeneni of Uzaruwe, Chief of Aviele and Wepa Wanu of Agenebode. All these chiefs lost significance with the coming of the Nupe. At that time Otaru was not in existence.
Less I forget, let me end this article with Shaba Mahmud’s Eulogy
“Mahmud mudun azurfa da zinariya.
Mahmud mai kashin nasara dan Hadiza.
Rashin ganinka shi ya sa muka rasa bayi a Bida.
In ba Mahmudu ba wa ke ci gari ya zabe bawa dubu ya bar su da? Sai Muhmudu
Mahmudu kara shiri, shiri gagumemen aiki
Kara shiri, gama shiri dan ga’aba.
This can be translated into English thus:
Mahmud, the measuring bowl made of silver and gold.
Mahmud, person with bones of wealth, son of Hadiza.
Feeling of your absent made us not to have slaves any more.
If not Mahmud, who will conquer a people and choose thousands and leave them as free born? Only Mahmud!
Mahmud Prepare yourself more, for preparation is a difficult thing, increase your preparation.
Complete your preparation because of enemies.
Prof. S. f. Nadel has this to say “Masaba, under his rule Bida was transformed from a huge war-camp into a capital worthy of the most powerful kingdom of central Nigeria. Many great buildings in Bida date from this time: The three royal Palaces, the great Mosque and the lay-out of the night Market. Masaba suppressing revolts of the Gbedeggi in Mokwa, of the riverain kyadya, fighting war against Kukuruku, Kakanda and Bassa Nge in the South, Gbagyi and Agaie Fulani in the east, consolidated the country internally and expanded its boundaries farther and farther afield.”
This feat attained by King Masaba could not have been achieved if Shaba Mahmud, his son, was not by his side giving him support.
In Shaba Mahmud, all Nupe warriors stood in a shadow of a giant. Mahmud was turbaned Shaba (Crown Prince in 1884) by King Maliki and died in 1890.
In conclusion, Kukuruku is never a word of the Afemai or the Etsakor people just as “Otaru” is not.
Bida can be reached through: [email protected]