Zazzau, Abuja, Suleja: Historical fact and fallacy (I)

The chronology of the Zazzau Kings started with Gunguma, who was the grandson of Bayajida, and the youngest son of Bawo. It continued with Matazu, Tumsah, Tamusa and Sulaimanu in succession, up to the 17th King Sakannu. For these ones, the specific years of reign were not known. But from the 18th King, Monan Abu, […]

The chronology of the Zazzau Kings started with Gunguma, who was the grandson of Bayajida, and the youngest son of Bawo. It continued with Matazu, Tumsah, Tamusa and Sulaimanu in succession, up to the 17th King Sakannu. For these ones, the specific years of reign were not known. But from the 18th King, Monan Abu, from 1505 to 1530, the years of tenures were known and recorded up to Ishaku Jatau, the 59th King. He reigned for 20 years as the King from 1782 to his demise in 1802.

Muhamman Makau was the eldest son of Ishaku Jatau. He succeeded his father in 1802. But he reigned in Zaria only for two years. It was while Makau was praying at the Eid ground outside the ancient city on Saturday 10th of Zhul Hajj 1804 that the Fulani tactically invaded the city and deposed him without a fight.

Though he had many men with him, they were caught unprepared, and could not enter the city to get armed, because the gate was closed against him. He was forced to flee towards the southwestern region of the Zazzau Kingdom, with the invading Fulani forces hotly pursuing him. As he fled, Makau passed through Kauru and Kajuru and other places. Some of the local kings rejected him, while others accommodated him, but he could not remain for long because he was under hot pursuit by the Fulani.

The influence and authority of the Zazzau Kingdom was extended up the banks of the River Niger, where Queen Amina waged her wars. The Chief of Zuba was the Sarkin Yamma, the Chief Councillor of the King of Zazzau, in matters that concerned the southwestern part of the Kingdom. When Makau reached Zuba, the chief accepted to accommodate him, and he got a very conducive environment to fight. He camped outside the gate of Zuba until he defeated the invading Fulani forces and drove them back to Zaria in 1807.

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For more than 20 years, from 1804 to 1825, Makau reigned and converted Zuba to a fort. He waged wars, and successfully brought under his authority, all the surrounding southwestern parts of the Zazzau Kingdom who refused to pay him allegiance.

In the year 1825, Makau went to Lapai to complete the destruction of the Fulani he drove from Gulu. Unfortunately, he fell apart with his warriors. Because of a similar expedition, he chose to free some war captives, which the warriors expected him to allow them to benefit as booty. They, therefore, deserted him at the point of victory, leading to his demise. His brother Abubakar Jatau, also the son of Ishaku Jatau, succeeded him as the king, and decided to settle and establish Abuja town in 1825.

Even after the eventual settlement, the ancient city of Abuja never saw peace due to threats of war from the Zaria Fulani rulers. In 1893, a decisive war was fought at Farin Ruwa, by the entrance gate of Abuja, and the invaders were summarily defeated, and they returned to Zaria. Shortly after, the British colonial forces overran both the Zazzau Abuja and Zaria including all the territories in Northern Nigeria.

In his introduction to the ‘Chronicle of Abuja’, Dr Frank Heath wrote “When the Fulani, in their holy war of conquest, drove the original Habe king of Zazzau from Zaria, he made himself a new kingdom out of these Abuja lands. Established here, he and his successors beat off every attempt of the Fulani (the last in 1893) to reduce their stronghold, one of the only three places left where the old Hausa customs survived, almost unchanged. Bida fell, and most of the surrounding country was carved up into the principalities of Keffi, Nassarawa, Lapai, and last, Kontagora; indeed, control of nearly all Northern Nigeria passed into the hands of the Fulani – but never Abuja”.

Contrary to the misinformation preached by a Late Zaria-based Islamic scholar, that, Abuja and Suleja were brothers, and heirs to the throne in Zaria. But none succeeded. They then migrated and found Suleja Town. Subsequently, the two fell apart, and the other broke away to found Abuja Town. We wonder where the respected scholar got such a false and derogatory narrative. We pray that his gentle soul rest in Jannatul Firdaus, and may the Almighty Allah forgive his mistakes.

For the record, Abuja was Abubakar Jatau, 61st Habe Sarkin Zazzau, who succeeded Makau. He was the founder and first Emir of Abuja Town in 1825. In 1979, during the reign of the 6th Emir of Abuja, the federal government requested the name of Abuja to be adopted for the new FCT, the Emir and his people agreed and changed the name of the town to Suleja, after the reigning Emir Sulemanu Barau. Suleja is thus the grandson of Abuja.

 

To be continued.