The plight of Potiskum people

The city of Potiskum hosts one of the most organised traditional and community administration known as Fika Emirate. Historically, what is known as Fika Emirate with headquarters in Potiskum was the brain child of the British Colonialists who harnessed the indigenous tribes in the area namely, Kare-Kare, Ngizim, Ngamo, Bolewa, Fulani and Hausa to form […]

The city of Potiskum hosts one of the most organised traditional and community administration known as Fika Emirate. Historically, what is known as Fika Emirate with headquarters in Potiskum was the brain child of the British Colonialists who harnessed the indigenous tribes in the area namely, Kare-Kare, Ngizim, Ngamo, Bolewa, Fulani and Hausa to form a Central Administration. The British met the Bolewa tribe as the most organized group in Fika and this prompted the District Officer, Mr. Whitely, who was in charge of Fika Division, to move his headquarters to Potiskum in 1918 for administrative convenience and rapid development of the area. At the directive of the British Colonial Authority, the grandfather of the present Emir of Fika, Mai Muhammadu Ibn Idrissa moved the headquarters of Fika Emirate to Potiskum in 1924 where all the indigenous tribes had representatives in the Emirate Council with the Emir of Fika as the overall king of the area.

It should be noted that all the tribes have lived in Potiskum freely and peacefully with strong affinity through intermarriages, religious, cultural and economic relationships until recently when some groups opted for the creation of more emirates out of Fika Emirate. The creation of emirate was a good idea to develop the community if done properly by creating it out of the districts under Fika Emirate like Gudi, Nangere and Mamudo or the use of the Yobe State House of Assembly constituencies within Potiskum Local Government Area of Potiskum outside Constituency, Potiskum Main Constituency or the Democratic and Constitutional system called Referendum to determine where the people in the area want to belong.

But Potiskum, which used to be the home for all irrespective of tribe, religion, occupation amongst others, went into oblivion with the politically motivated creation of another emirate to rival Fika Emirate. The effect of the creation and existence of two emirs and emirates in Potiskum is unthinkable. This singular act has created anarchy and social dislocation of the people who had enjoyed very strong religious, economic and social affinity for many decades.

With the upsurge of violence championed by the faceless group known as Boko Haram, the already existing schism in the area provided a fertile ground for the operations of the group in Potiskum. Unimaginable things have happened in Potiskum due to existing confusion in the socio-political setup of the community, thus giving the Boko Haram the field day to wreck havoc on the town. The current Emir of Fika, Alhaji Muhammadu Abali Muhammadu Ibn Idrissa was in August this year targeted by a suicide bomber. Also, the Palace of the Emir has been attacked recently and the Potiskum Police Station, situated very close to the palace which hitherto provided security order for the Emir and Palace broken through leading to the death of the Divisional Police Officer and many others.

One may be forced to note that the attacks on the city of Potiskum is beyond the activities of Boko Haram but a planned attack sponsored by some unscrupulous elements hiding under the cover of the sect to destroy the city, reap from its ruins and score cheap socio-political points.

The religious harmony which the city of Potiskum was known for had paled into the blues following the burning of churches, mosques, Islamiyyah and other places of worship. This was a town where people used to practice their religion peacefully. There has never been any segregation between the Christians and Muslims in Potiskum as the adherents of both faith associated freely. In fact the mother of the late Emir of Fika came from a Christian family and the presence of several other Christian relations in the town shows that Potiskum was a complete blend of people and mix in terms of religion and existed for so long without any major religious crisis.

The economic tiger which Potiskum symbolises witnessed the worst economic catastrophe when gunmen raided the cattle market killing buyers, sellers and countless cattles on its stake burnt alive and the entire market set ablaze.

The tale of woes in Potiskum is almost endless but had its roots in the socio-political dislocation of the city occasioned by the creation of an Emirate within an existing Emirate with headquarters in a same town this has made the effort of security agencies especially the Joint Task Force not really felt as people are still being killed, schools burnt and properties destroyed in Potiskum almost on a daily basis.

We are moved to formerly register our displeasure by recounting the good old days compared to the evils of the moment for the attention and swift action of government, security agencies and patriotic Nigerians to take urgent steps to halt the confusion in Potiskum as it has the potential of spiralling out of control.

Abubakar Mohammed writes from Lafia, Nasarawa State