By Dr Bolaji O. Akinyemi

Traditional stools were trampled upon by the Jihadists who invaded Northern Nigeria, beginning from Sokoto. Uthma Dan Fodio forces showed no mercy, indigenous kings were slaughtered like goats and their thrones taken, their people were made slaves in their own land, and their land became the property of Fulani, the tribe of Dan Fodio.

“Islam” was the veil they used to cover the eyes of the people from seeing through their real intentions, what colonialists will later come to do for Her Majesty, the Queen, hiding under the cloak of Christianity, Uthman Dan Fodio did for himself and his unborn generations hiding behind “Allah”.

If Islam is truly the reason, how come adherents of Islam, faithful and pious with absolute commitment to the course of the religion who are from the disposed lineage of the kings slaughtered by Fulani, have never been Islamic enough, to have back the thrones of their forefathers, not permanently, but at least a stint on the thrones?

As at the time of Dan Fodio’s Jihad, the Emir of Kano, Sokoto and Zaria were Hausa Muslims. Yet, the Fulani land and power grabbers killed those emirs whom they called “habe” (pagans).

For instance, the Fulani laid ambush for the Hausa Muslim Emir of Zaria on a Friday after sallah on his way back to the palace in Zaria and killed him.

It’s about time to separate land grabbers, power mongers and blood spiller” from Islam the religion of peace.

The colonialists, came in 1903 and engaged Attahiru, the Sultan of Sokoto in fierce battles for the political control of Northern Nigeria. The British were at least sincere enough to make clear their interests.

From that moment, Attahiru’s throne will serve the political and economic interests of the British Government. This was not limited to the Sokoto Sultanate and the Emirates in Northern Nigeria. All across, Nigerian kings became stewards of Her Majesty, the Queen of England.

The battle for other kingdoms of Southern Nigeria were equally fiercely fought, the almighty old Oyo empire stretching from Oyo to Dahomey in present day Republic of Benin fell. Oyo Kingdom couldn’t be saved by the fire and thunder of her one time king, Sango.

Oba Ovoranmwen of the great Benin kingdom led against British invaders, the most organised resistant forces, but the determination of the invaders for the wealth of Benin kingdom saw them through a sustained battle till Ovoranmwen who was crowned in 1888 was conquered, not slaughtered, as Jihadists will do kings who fell to them.

He was taken to Calabar where the Obong was cooperating with the British, a new king who will do the British bidding was enthroned in Benin. Ovoranmwen later died in a captivity that lasted 26 years in 1914.

The British are long gone, but not their legacy of arm twisting our thrones to keep the people manipulated. The Fulani nevertheless are here with us, playing the old tricks; their expansionist agenda in the name of Allah!

Our elected politicians haven’t faired better than the Jihadists and are worse than the British in their attitude to the thrones of indigenous people of Nigeria.

Kaduna has become a volatile state because the Governor will prefer to have traditional institutions of Chiefdom in predominant Christian communities translated to Emirates to make possible the emergence of men of his own religion, Islam, as Emir of Christianity dominated communities.

The crisis in Kaduna has reached a crescendo without any solution in sight, when the Governor of Gombe State, reached for the Kaduna model to be replicated in Birili, Christian Community of Gombe State.

Where the throne’s title is “Mai” Tangle, which has become nothing but a gift to be given out by the Governor, the late Mai Tangle of Billiri was Abdu Buba Maisheru II, this though different from Mai Tula. There is also the Mai Kaltungo. The three Mai’s are tribal thrones. The Mai Kaltungo’s family are partly Christians and partly Muslims so is the Mai Tula’s family.

The plan is to also now have a Mai Tangle of Billiri to be a Muslim by imposition since the other bowed to overdoses of money and power in subtility to have Muslim on Mai Kaltungo and the Mai of Tula thrones.

It Will be recalled that John, heir apparent and the son of the late Mai Tangle of Billiri died as recent as November 2020 of mysterious ailment. Then, suddenly his own father the Mai died suddenly in January 2021. Thus setting the grounds for the imposition of a Muslim Mai over the Billiri Tangle speaking people who are over 90% Christians like their neighbors and brothers the Tula and the Kaltungo people.

The successional plan as put in place by tradition can only be tinkered with by the council of kingmakers, who came together and examined persons eligible to the throne and through their understanding of cultural values and indices, elected and presented Dr. Musa Idris Maiyamba.

If the traditional institutions that could hide under the whims and caprices of culture to manipulate the process, submitted itself to democratic principles and recommend the choice of the majority to a democratically elected Governor, who by duty should be heard and seen as an Ambassador of democracy, why then did the Governor preferred an unpopular choice over the popular one?

While the announcement of Dr Musa Idris Maiyamba was being awaited by his people, news filtered to them of the gamble by the Governor, who like a bias electoral umpire decided to truncate the choice of the people and rigged in his choice over a people with whom he has no affinity nor traditional bond.

What is the interest of His Excellency, Alhaji Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya, the Governor of Gombe State? Religion?

Most muslim Governors in Northern Nigeria are remotely part of the conspiracy of the expansionist agenda that has gained mileage under the Presidency of Muhammadu Buhari.

Mia Tangle is the traditional stool of royalty over Birilli Gombe State, which the Governor chose to Gamble with. The people read the body language and cried out ahead of the formal announcement.

Cries led to crisis and crisis to wanton destruction of lives and property. As soon as the dust settles not minding the grumblings in Gombe, an unrepentant Governor made good his intentions of a future transition of Mai Chiefdoms to Emirates possibly.

He enthroned a Muslim over a community that is 90% Christian. The dice is cast, the game that has seen endless violence in Kaduna is now being played out in Gombe, by none other than the person that the people elected as their Governor, a man entrusted to protect their traditional institutions but has now murdered tradition.

It is left to imagination how troops that are not available to stop attacks on churches and Christians in Gombe State will be deployed to ensure that the presentation of the Staff of office to the choice of the Governor holds.

Someone has murdered sleep in Gombe, how he hopes to sleep with his eyes closed is better imagined.