SHEHU OF BAMA AND THE TEST OF FAITH- ABDULRAFIU LAWAL (OPINION)

I first met the Shehu of Bama, Kyari Ibrahim Ibn El-Kanemi, in November 2002 through late Ali Mai Sangayama,a member of the Borno State House of Assembly representing Gulumba-Woloji constituency. It is worthy to note that out of the 27 local government areas of Borno state, only Bama has two seats in the House of Assembly, Gulumba-Woloji and Bama constituencies, due to its size and population.

 

Mai Sangayama, who later became Ali Modu Sheriff’s commissioner for Works died in 2005 after a brief illness. He was one of the few members of the House that I related closely with. Others are Inuwa Musa Kubo, the former speaker and now commissioner for Education; minority leader, Kolo Bukar; Yusuf Gana Balami and AbdulRahman AbdulKareem, majority leader and now caretaker chairman, Ngala local government council. I have taken time to go into details because after the 1999 to 2003 legislators in Borno, the State House of Assembly lost its vibrancy and robust debate. Two thirds of the elected members subsequently became executive apologists or individuals who knew little or nothing about the value and meaning of law making. I will revisit this issue later.

Sangayama had moved a motion under matters of urgent importance on the floor of the House that people from his constituency were relocating to Cameroun due to the lack of basic amenities. For those who know Bama, Banki town is a few kilometres from the Camerounian border. Sangayama specifically mentioned a couple of villages, namely Walasa, Amchaka and others that I cannot remember. As a reporter with a nose for news, I decided to go with him the following week to Gulumba/Woloji to see things for myself. On our way, Sangayama asked his driver, Abubakar to stop at the palace of the Emir of Bama to pay him courtesy.

As we sauntered into the palace, we met Ibrahim Ibn El-Kanemi sitting on a chair in the courtyard, while his aides sat on a mat listening to him. Sangayama briefed him about our mission and introduced me in an atmosphere of conviviality. He was very friendly and humble, and asked me where I come from, what I think of Bama and my experience so far in Borno as a journalist. This swept me off my feet as I did not expect such a warm reception in a palace that I had never been to. I later learnt that was the culture of Bama people, being widely travelled businessmen known for their cosmopolitan nature like the people of Maiduguri and Kondanuga.

This encounter endeared him to me, and I looked forward to returning there someday. This was because he was so in touch with his people that he was able to refer to virtually all those who came around while we were there, including children, by their names.

In mid 2003, I met Fara Modu, an Information officer with Ministry of Women Affairs with Ladi Mamman Watila as commissioner. Modu was close to the Emir, being a son of Bama, and he further strengthened my links to Bama. He used to buy a copy of TELL magazine every week for the royal father. After his transfer to Bama, Modu still kept coming to Maiduguri every week to buy the magazine for El-Kanemi. At a point, I started giving him one out of my complimentary copies every week for onward delivery to the Emir. Occasionally, when I visited Bama I would stop by the palace to greet the Emir. I valued my relationship with Modu because of his loyalty to friends and secondly, because he had access to every Bama politician and businessman. Within an hour, he could arrange an interview for me. I recall these events in excruciating pain because both Sangayama and Modu have since passed on.

For an average Nigerian traditional ruler, his throne, areas under him and palace are of strategic importance to him. He is ready to fight with the last drop of his blood against anything that would undermine these three. It is about ego, self-esteem, political economy and the preservation of family heritage.

In March 2010, the then governor Ali Modu Sheriff split the old Dikwa Emirate into the new Bama and Dikwa Emirates. The new Dikwa Emirate has three local government areas, namely Dikwa, Ngala and Kala Balge. Under the new arrangement, El-Kanemi was left with only Bama local government area. Sheriff’s reason was that he wanted to correct the injustice done to his people in 1902 by the colonialists who moved Dikwa Emirate to Bama for administrative convenience.

However, some other people felt Sheriff was only settling scores with El-Kanemi over his support for Late Mala Kachallah. People had expected the State House of Assembly to stop the move, but the lawmakers had no courage because the governor made their elections possible. This is why I earlier mentioned the 1999-2003 set of lawmakers in Borno as being the best assembly of legislators produced in the last sixteen years in Borno State.

For an average Nigerian traditional ruler, his throne, areas under him and palace are of strategic importance to him. He is ready to fight with the last drop of his blood against anything that would undermine these three. It is about ego, self-esteem, political economy and the preservation of family heritage.

Many had expected El-Kanemi to put up a fight by seeking redress in court, but he kept his cool. A few weeks after the incident, I was in Bama to visit Fara Modu and we stopped by the palace to greet him. To my surprise, El-Kanemi was looking unruffled and beaming. Modu then pushed further by asking how he had been, but he merely said in every situation one should give glory to God. I was shocked, because an average traditional ruler in Nigeria with an obsession with royalty and control of domain would have been shattered. I saw in him the attributes of Muhammad Al-Amin Ibn El-Kanemi (1809-1837), the founder of El-Kanemi dynasty who was said to be a man of faith and courage.

Unfortunately, Fara Modu was killed by Boko Haram in 2013 while relaxing in front of his house in Bama. I was devastated by his death for three reasons: the circumstances under which he was killed; the loss of contact with his wife, Hauwa Kulu, a staff of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC); and my inability to attend the burial because I was away in the United States. It took several weeks before Bulama Talba, a friend of Modu who also works with the Borno State Ministry of Information could break the news to me.

While still grieving over the loss of my bosom friend, On September 1, 2014, the rampaging Boko Haram sacked Bama town, destroying the palace and kidnapping the Emir’s wife and two children. This forced the Emir to relocate to Maiduguri like his counterpart from Gwoza. As fate would have it, the wife, Queen Hajju and her daughter, Princess Amma escaped from their captors on July 24, 2016. Unfortunately, the sect had killed his son. Like our people will say, when an incident that could have taken one’s life, removes the cap, the person should give glory to God. It could have been worse.

For those who have experienced it like Kyari Ibrahim Ibn El-Kanemi, parents of the Chibok girls and Borno State in general, may God comfort them and make it a gateway to good health and long lives.

According to the BringBackOurGirls (BBOG) campaign, nineteen parents of the missing Chibok girls have since died from emotional trauma. I cannot imagine what life has been like for the Emir in the past two years.

One great thing about the Kanuris of Borno is their fatalism. I wish other Nigerians could learn from it. No matter how hopeless a situation is, they are optimistic that tomorrow will be better. I cannot imagine how traumatising life can be for Bama people famous for their “enigmatic love” for their town, as they have been living in camps for two years now. To underscore their love for Bama, they would leave Maiduguri even at 7pm just to pass the night in their “city like” town, which is 70 kilometres away. Considering what the people of Borno have undergone in the last six years, some other people would certainly have developed serious health issues, but they put their faith in God. They believe that since their great grandparents overcome Rabeh Zubayr Ibn Fadl Allah, Boko Haram will also be history some day.

After all, the holy Quran in Suratul Mulk, chapter 67, Verse 2 says “It is Allah, He who created Death and life, that he may try which of you is best in deed: and he is the exalted in might, oft–forgiving.” After all, Allah says after hardship, comes relief.

I am gladdened by the return of the Shehu’s wife and daughter because I can barely imagine what it is like to restore light to a man whose life had been enveloped by darkness for nearly two years just within the twinkling of an eye. This is because having one’s wife or children deceased is far easier on the mind on the long run, as it gives closure, than the uncertainty of having them abducted, due to the emotional and psychological trauma that comes with this. It is only those who have experienced it who can actually say what it feels like.

With three different trials in six years that could have taken his life, but still being alive to tell the story, only a few are this lucky as El-Kanemi has been. I say Bara’a n3min, sai kanadi. Kuru, Ala fuuyero ashir’a zaks3 (please note that these are Kanuri alphabets having no substitute in English). I urge him to take solace in Allah’s words in Suratul Baqarah (Quran 2:155-157), “And surely we shall try you with something of fear and hunger, and loss of wealth and lives and crops; but give glad tidings to the patient, who says, when afflicted with calamity. To Allah we belong, and to him is our return: They are those on whom (descend) blessings from Allah and they are the ones that receive guidance.”

I pray to the lord of majesty and bounty (Dhul Jalal Wal Ikhram) to save us from a trial that will test our faith during our life times. For those who have experienced it like Kyari Ibrahim Ibn El-Kanemi, parents of the Chibok girls and Borno State in general, may God comfort them and make it a gateway to good health and long lives.