The Camels of Sokoto
My contact tells me that very close to the border with the Republic of Niger, one finds traders who own upwards of five hundred camels, tall quiet animals who never seem to forget any good or bad deed done. A single man could own a thousand camels, or even double the number, he emphasises. In […]
My contact tells me that very close to the border with the Republic of Niger, one finds traders who own upwards of five hundred camels, tall quiet animals who never seem to forget any good or bad deed done. A single man could own a thousand camels, or even double the number, he emphasises. In places such as Tangaza, Illela, Tambuwal, Sabon Birni, Gudu, Gada, communities with rare and beautiful names, can be found camels in great numbers, both big and small. Their wide eyes gaze at you inquisitively.
As part of a journey that took me to Rabah, the hometown of late Sardauna Ahmadu Bello, camels could be seen in many of the communities along the way, and in some of the valleys which dot the landscape.
Abubakar Kani is one of the executives of the Camel traders association, and we meet him at the Sokoto Main Market. According to him there are up to three hundred camel traders operating from the market, and he adds that some camels are brought into the country from Mali and Niger. In some of the smaller communities, camels may number from fifty to a hundred, but this depends on the location, he states. He informs Daily Trust that a large camel may cost between one hundred and eighty thousand to two hundred and fifty thousand Naira.
Camels play many roles in this part of the North West. Some are bought to be slaughtered, while some work on the farm much as Oxen do by pulling the plough, while many buy camels to serve as a means of transportation. Kani draws attention to one fact “twenty years ago there were more camels in the Sokoto area. Then one could sell as many as a thousand camels on a market day. Things have changed because people do not have much money, and there is instability in the form of wars, violence and cattle rustling, and all this has prevented people from bringing their camels from the rural areas to the markets.”
Turning to more positive ideas, he says that camel meat is eaten by many in Sokoto “Camel milk is better than cow milk. It has medicinal value and it is mentioned in the Hadith. It is helpful in the treatment of ulcer and typhoid and its urine also has high medicinal value.” Returning to the theme of the camel as a means of transportation, Kani explains “Camels are still very useful today. There are remote areas where vehicles can hardly go, and then camels also move in the desert. In places where there is no boat, a camel can cross the water. All these explain why, despite everything, the camel trade is still thriving, as it is still a reliable mode of transportation in many areas.”
Some have compared camels to bees, which produce honey after making the rounds of many trees, plants and flowers. This is because the camels live in the bush and eat a lot of leaves, especially those at the top of trees, and then they also consume leaves of a diversity of plants, which are said to be rich in healing properties. If you are on a visit to Sokoto, you simply can’t miss the elegant camels, which are ever so visible in this semi-arid state.