Satiru: A Community Frozen by a Curse

From Sokoto town, less than 40 kilometers will take you to the forest, that’s even if you have to take the Sokoto-Bodinga-Danchadi semi-circular route there.However, for the trio of Uthman, Alhaji Yahuza and Malam Abdullahi, our driver, on Monday, September 14, it was a short distance too long. It was not a pleasure ride, especially […]

From Sokoto town, less than 40 kilometers will take you to the forest, that’s even if you have to take the Sokoto-Bodinga-Danchadi semi-circular route there.
However, for the trio of Uthman, Alhaji Yahuza and Malam Abdullahi, our driver, on Monday, September 14, it was a short distance too long. It was not a pleasure ride, especially taking the a-little-better-than-bush path ditches-ridden Danchadi-Dange rural feeder road.
For the Abuja journalist, the tropical heat of the far Northwest region was not pleasant this twenty-forth day of Ramadan. We also had to make several enquiries on the exact location of the completely annihilated town, a site transformed over the last century into a forest reserve. Riding in the very rickety Toyota Starlet was fatiguing indeed, in spite of Malam Abdullahi’s experienced steering.
Our enquiries were interspersed with wanderings around the Danchadi-Dange portions of the forest, taking us to a hamlet after about an hour which, unknown to us, is the closest community to our location of search, confirming the direction described to us kilometers away at the outskirts of Danchadi.
“Ga Satiru can. Dutsen can da kuka gani shi addutsen Satiru (see Satiru there. That hill is the hill of Satiru)” elderly Mallam Muhammadu Hassan, a resident of the hamlet, announced to us in a gladdening tone, gesturing at the direction of the hill which stands all alone in the vast desolate terrain.
“Amma fa mota bata zuwa can. Akwai wani gebe da mota bata iya hayewa (but a car can’t get there. There is a ditch there which a car can’t cross),” Malam Muhammadu told us frankly.
We commandeered the elderly farmer to lead us there. He buzzed ahead of us on his old Suzuki motorcycle, in the fashion of an escort, towards the ditch.
We parked right by the ditch and Mallam Muhammadu carried Uthman on the motorbike across.
Behold! The historic Satiru!
Satiru,
Sa turu-turu da idanu,
Ta Malam Siba

Satiru,
The town which makes eyes to bulge,
The town of Malam Siba
So, was it praise-sung at the zenith of its glory as the centre of Mahdist movement in the Sokoto Caliphate which, consequently, developed it into a ‘transgressor-community’ most intrepidly insolent to the British colonialists and the authorities of the Caliphate, and one of the most historic representations of resistance to colonial rule in the defunct 19th Century theocratic entity.
Where is Satiru? Take a twist one full circle and you will see virtually nothing of it now to suggest human habitation in the form of a vibrant daring community 103 years ago.
Dutsen Satiru (Satiru hill) standing at the heart of the vast land, the fairly vast swamp under it, the far-way surrounding hills, which could have served as fortification against enemy incursions, flattening heaps of sand and sinking signs of foundations of round huts are a few of the existing tellers of the Satiru story. The site is one vast cattle grazing field now.
Satiru has virtually physically sunk into history, leaving its fame, or infamy, lavishly written about in the pages of historical and sociological discourses.
For 103 years now, Satiru has developed into a forest reserve surrounded by farms far away, or behind the seemingly fortifying hills, with the bowl of the flattened town covered with shrubs of desert flora and a very light sprinkle of trees.
“We don’t farm here,” Malam Muhammadu said, stressing, “I can’t remember seeing anyone farming here, but I don’t know why. This is my first time of setting foot here myself.”
Why has there not been any farm in the site of the ruined community since 1906, in spite of the growth of shrubs sufficiently suggesting that it is not a barren land? The then Sultan of Sokoto, Attahirun Alu Dan Bello (Attahiru II), after the desolation of the town by the colonial forces, pronounced an everlasting curse on whoever farms or builds any structure there, on the behest of the then colonial Resident, Burdon.
A prominent oral account, however, says that farmers don’t venture there because the land was rendered infertile by the devastating ammunition used by the colonial forces on the community, and the infertility has lasted to this day.
Many people now believe that the fact that shrubs and grasses grow there mean that the land is no more infertile, even if it was so to any time after the town was razed (or burnt to ashes, as narrated by some people), an argument which confirms reliability on the sultanate curse.
Why did Sultan Attahiru curse razed Satiru and whoever farms or builds there forever? There are several accounts of the events which led to the curse.
According to Abubakar S Mohammed, in his doctoral thesis titled: Social Interpretation of The Satiru Revolt of 1894-1906, “Satiru was founded by a few poor scholars. Initially, Malam Siba from Gindi, a village close to Jega (in present Kebbi State) was the founder of the settlement. When he came, he cleared the bush and put up some huts. He came along with some disciples. Later on he was joined by another scholar, Malam Bawa, from Bakura area (in present Zamfara State). They were later joined by Malam Maikaho (Malam Abdulkadir Ba’adare Maikaho) from Gobir (in present Sokoto State).”
It is, however, held by some of the discoursers that no one can say precisely when Satiru was founded.
Malam Maikaho was later to become the headman of the Mahdist movement, and his son, Isa Dan Maikaho, led the revolt and battles against the colonialists and Sokoto authorities between February and March 1906 when the colonial forces completely sacked the intrepid community.
For Professor Aliyu Mohammed Bunza of Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, Malam Maikaho, who he called, Umaru Mai Dankaho, could have hailed from Ghana, where he acquired mastery in the art of warfare against the colonialists, which was why he assumed the headman position of Satiru soon after his arrival there. Another account, according to Abubakar S Mohammed, in his illuminating sociological discourse, traces the origin of Malam Maikaho to Nupe.
These scholars, each with his disciples, were joined during the revolt by Malam Shuaibu Makaho, who had stirred troubles in the land of Dosso in present Niger Republic before foraying south-eastwards to Satiru.
The name ‘Satiru’ was derived from the Arabic word ‘Satara,’ which means “to cover, veil, to hide, conceal, to shield, protect,” and, therefore, in the case of the historic community, it means a location protected by charms, ‘Kafi,’ as was the prevalent practice of communities across Hausa land in those times.
Abubakar Mohammed, relying on earlier works by Adeleye, put the population of Satiru at an estimated 10,000, a figure which reliability was suggested by the British officers who fought against the Satirawa, estimating their fighting force at 5,000. This figure, added with the 3000 captured women and children and the unquoted figures of those who escaped and those jailed after the 1906 pouncing on the community, could take you to the estimated 10,000.
Whatever their population, it composed of not only the scholars and their disciples and families, but even slaves freed at the advent of colonialism, who found a safe ideological haven in Satiru, carrying their bitter experiences of oppression and suppression in the hands of their masters, to join forces with the founding Satirawa in revolt and battles against the obnoxious system of the day, most notably the imposition of British colonial rule.
Although established discourses prominently hold the real ideological intent of the Satirawa as to snatch power from the Sokoto Sarakuna (kings or chiefs), with whom they had had disagreements before the intervention of the colonial forces in 1906, following the declaration of Maikaho as the Mahdi told of in the Qur’an, Professor Bunza believed that the initial grouse of the Satirawa was against the infidel colonialists and their rule, and the Sarakuna only happened to be dragged in for their support for the colonial administration.
“The Satirawa were opposed to paying tax to the infidel colonialists. If they were made to pay the tax to Sokoto, they wouldn’t have had any grouse. They were opposed to being tied to stakes and whipped like the most debased beasts,” Professor Bunza observed.
He said the Satirawa picked troubles with the Sokoto Sarakuna because of their support for the infidel colonial rule, observing further that the Sokoto authorities felt every justification to do so to obtain security from colonial rule against the transgressions and excesses of the daring Satirawa.
“It can be noted that during their conflict with Sokoto, the Sokoto authorities sent the Sarkin Yakin Binji, (the army chief of the seat of the Caliphate) to subdue them to submission to the colonial administration in a battle,” he narrated, continuing, “On reaching the battle line, the Sarkin Yaki shot his clenched fist into the air and shouted: ‘Allahu akbar (Allah is great),’ the Satirawa army shouted same. The Sarkin Yaki then shouted the Qur’anic verse: ‘Ja’al haqqu, wa zahaqal batilu,’ the Satirawa completed the verse: ‘Wa innal batilu kana zahuqa.’ At that point, he turned his forces, returned to Sokoto and told the Sarkin Musulmi (Sultan) that he would not fight against fellow Muslims.”
So brave and intrepid were the Satirawa that they composed a poem, daring the colonialists and Sokoto Sarakuna to fights.
Marafa ka dade baka zaka ba,
Dan Modoma ka dade baka zaka ba,
Balle Nasara mai dan wando,
Babban mutum da rigay yara,.…

Meaning:
Marafa, you have delayed in coming (for a fight),
Dan Modoma (the chief of the Danchadi fiefdom), you have delayed in coming (for a fight),
Let alone, the white man wearing a pair of shorts,
A big man wearing children’s garment (shirt)…
Habib Alhassan of the Translation Bureau of the Usman Danfodiyo University UNESCO Project narrated the progression of events in the sour Satiru-Sokoto relations leading to the February-March 1906 clashes. He differed quite notably from Abubakar Mohammed and several other discoursers on the founders of the town and some significant events in the relations.
While Abubakar Mohammed posited that it was founded by Malam Siba, especially considering the town’s praise song: ‘Satiru, Sa turu-turu da idanu, Ta Malam Siba…’ Habib attributed the founding of the town to Maikaho.
“Malam Abdulkadir Ba’adare, nicknamed as Maikafo (‘Maikafo’ or ‘Maikaho’ means the possessor or owner of a horn) was the original founder of the town Satiru in 1904. This was after he had acquired from a Jinn a certain horn (Kaho) with which he practiced black magic or witchcraft said to be for the purpose of conquering and gaining control over the inhabitants of the area,” Habib Alhassan narrated in a published essay titled: Satiru Scholars Vs Colonialists.
He continued: “He (Abdulkadir Ba’adare) contemplated himself as a Mahdi (Messiah). Thus, when trouble was foreseen in Satiru, he was called to Sokoto during the regn of Attahirun Alu Dan Bello. He was asked such questions as whether he was Mahdi and whether he had plotted a disturbance in the land, or whether all the rumours were only lies against him. He replied that neither did he ever claim to being a Mahdi, nor tried influencing any unrest, but he confessed advising the people to grow cassava in view of the anticipated famine that would befall the land upon the coming of the whites (colonialists).”
Habib narrated further: “He was made to take an oath that he would never again influence any trouble. Soon afterwards, he fell sick, suffering from vomiting and diarrhea, and he eventually died.”
According to Habib, “Earlier, on the arrival of the whites, Maikafo immediately began addressing himself as Mahdi, and went further telling his son (Isa Dan Maikafo) that he (the son) was the said Prophet Isa, and that all powers or forms of government, leaders and rulers stood for Dujjal. Thus, he implied that Prophet Isa had resurrected and what remained to be looked for are the other signs of the Doomsday like the emergence of Gog and Magog, the killer cyclone, the emergence of the Mare of Prophet Saleh, the rising of the sun from the west to the east, and mass famine.”
Habib narrated that several Satiru scholars like Shuaibu Makaho and Malam Siba declared their allegiance to Isa Dan Maikaho after the death of his father. Shuaibu Makaho and Isa Dan Maikaho joined their followers and raised a strong force with the aim of seizing power from the Sokoto Sarakuna (rulers), restoring Islamic law and establishing justice.
“A conflict, however, erupted among them because of divergence of primary beliefs and policies,” Habib continued, “The situation went out of hand to the extent that one Malam Yahaya and his people were killed… When the news of this terrible thing reached the rulers, they sent Marafa Maiturare to investigate, but he was forced back. Several other warriors also went to Satiru, but they were all turned back. Some of them were even caught and killed.”
When the situation worsened in Satiru, a colonial official was sent there. He, too, was forced back.
The then British colonial Resident, Mr. Hillary, according to Habib, went there with a platoon of the colonial soldiers. While some of the soldiers successfully escaped, Mr. Hillary and others were arrested, with Hillary severely maltreated. The captors made a large fire, slicing pieces of his flesh, roasting it and feeding him with it until he died. They then amputated his right hand and sent it to the Sultan through Sarkin Zamfaran Danchadi as compliment.
This is the climax of events culminating in the colonial forces swooping on Satiru with their full weight.
“As a result of this,” according to Habib, “a request was sent to England, calling for an emergency relief force that included also rifles, machine guns and the like weapons. Both air and land armies were immediately recruited and organized at Sokoto wherefrom they moved to Satiru under the leadership of the commandant of the land army and representative of the King of England.”
More troops and weapons, according to Abubakar Mohammed and other sources, were deployed to Sokoto from Zungeru, the then seat of the Lugard-led colonial administration of the broadening protectorates that were to constitute present Nigeria, for the decisive faceoff with the Satirawa.
The special army matched on and “reached the town (Satiru) on Saturday, the 24th day of Al-Muharram at about 3 O’clock in the morning. The people of Satiru were found to have had themselves fully prepared. They had skillfully organized themselves in a military fashion of three reinforcements. When the British forces started firing their machineguns, however, the leading group of the resistant (Satirawa) forces was soon eliminated. So also were killed all those coming in the second batch. The third group made an attempt to escape, but was pursued and (most of the Satirawa in it) killed with rifles.”
In his own brief account of the decisive combat and its outcome, Abubakar S. Mohammed quoted Usman Gogori as narrating:
“On arriving at Satiru the commanding officer (of the colonial forces) made his military dispositions accordingly. When the infantry had been put in battle formation, the mounted infantry was sent as a decoy to make the Satirawa leave their defensive positions. As soon as the mounted infantry approached the village the Satirawa gave battle and pursued the mounted infantry close to where the troops were lined up with all available weapons. At a signal from the commanding officer (this signal was given with a white flag) the mounted infantry wheeled to the right thereby exposing the pursuers to the full view of the troops. At a signal the troops opened fire with every weapon and about 1000 Satirawa were killed. Another wave of 1000 Satirawa was decoyed in the same manner and wiped out.”
According to Abubakar Mohammed, “Driven from the village the Satirawa were pursued by the mounted infantry and the native horsemen in all directions. In fact, the hot pursuit was reported to have continued for two days.”
Narrating the combat further, the Sociologist said, “Apart from the thousands of casualties that were inflicted on the Satirawa, many were arrested and imprisoned and the town was razed to the ground with no wall or tree left standing. In fact, the Satirawa were reported to have been practically exterminated. Some 3000 women and children were said to have been handed over to the Sultan for disposal.”
Professor Bunza believes remnants of the Satirawa melted into the Sokoto community and remained part of the society to this day.
Now the curse.
“Resident Burdon ordered the Sultan to prohibit anybody from making a farm in Satiru forever. The Sarkin Musulmi was reported to have pronounced a curse on anyone building or farming on the site of Satiru. Long after the annihilation of the Satirawa the British continued to keep a watch on Satiru through the patrols of the mounted infantry,” Abubakar Mohammed narrated.
After the crushing of Satiru, the then Sir Frederic Lugard received congratulatory messages from many Sarakuna (Emirs) from the already conquered domains of the Caliphate.
Lugard reportedly rejoiced at the annihilation of Satiru as an obviation of a large-looming threat on the honour, prestige and prowess of British colonialism. 
Today Satiru and its environs are a forest reserve with no one daring the 1906 curse of the Sultan of Sokoto to farm or erect any building there.
“Sokoto State government has not proposed developing the site to anything else,” Alhaji Ahmed Umar Junaidu, the Acting Director of the Waziri Junaidu History and Culture Bureau said, stating: “It is a myth that the ammunitions used their by the colonialists have rendered the soil there infertile.”
The land of Satiru may congeal in the curse forever.