Bauchi State’s Forgotten Forefathers

Gen. Murtala Ramat Mohammed died on February 13th, 1976. He created Bauchi State on Feb 3rd, 1976. This was a bare 10 days before his assassination. Whenever Gen. Murtala is celebrated, Bauchi’s birth comes to mind. Bauchi State, alongside its contemporaries recently celebrated its 50th birthday. Bauchi was carved out of the then North-Eastern State with headquarters at Maiduguri, Borno State. In a recent interview with Wakilin Tarihin Bauchi, Alh. Ado Danrimi Garba, who is the custodian of history and historical artefacts and documentation in the Bauchi Emirate Council; he stated that Bauchi was the initial capital of the North-Eastern States, being a gateway to the region, before it was changed to Maiduguri, by the influence of a prominent Borno State indigene, Alh. Abba Jundun.

It was observed that Bauchi was not at par with the infrastructural developments of Borno State, and so it was easy to re-site the capital. Even with this, the sons of Bauchi never rested from the drive for the actualization of Bauchi as a capital, and a state of its own. Elders from the region frowned at this move and tried to scuttle the movement for Bauchi State, visiting punitive measures on the highly placed civil servants from Bauchi at the Federal level, who were found to be part of the Bauchi State movement.

Yakubu of Bauchi founded the Bauchi Emirate in 1805 under the Othman Ibn Fodio Caliphate. Bauchi became a vassal state under the Sokoto Caliphate. Bauchi was the most powerful Emirate under the Sokoto Caliphate due to its military might. The Sultan of Sokoto then, was under the threat of an invasion and conquest from the Shehu of Borno, who was believed to be the mightiest and most prolific king in the North. Yakubun Bauchi came to the rescue of the Sokoto Caliphate as all other emirs from other vassal states failed to attempt or stop the Shehu of Borno’s march with his army, to defeat and take over the Sokoto Caliphate and by implication, the entire Northern region. At the behest of the Sultan, Yakubu of Bauchi defeated the Shehu Laminu of Borno and his great army. Some of his belongings recovered from the battle including his slippers and seat are warehoused in Bauchi emirate. Infact the seat is what the Bauchi emir traditionally uses to mount and dismount from his horse during sallah. This earned Yakubu of Bauchi the title Sarkin Yakin Sarkin Musulmi and 2nd in command to the Sultan. The coming of the Sultan’s brother Abdullahin Gwandu as Sarkin Gwandu naturally demoted Yakubu to being 3rd in the Sultanate hierarchy. Again the coming of turawa further demoted Bauchi to being 4th in hierarchy after Kano, due to Kano’s prowess in revenue generation. Bauchi State had the highest number of the Sokoto Caliphates’ flagbearers namely; Bauchi, Gombe, Katagum, Misau, and Jama’are Emirates.

Wakilin Tarihi, on the Bauchi at 49 TV program, gave insights into the struggle for the realisation of Bauchi State. Prominent persons in the struggle include: Alh. Adamu Tafawa Balewa, Bello Kirfi, Abubakar Umar, Abdulsalam Sambo, Elnafaty, Dahiru Deba, Chadi Aliyu, Yerima Abdullahi, Garba Aminu, and Shehu Awak to mention just a few. Most of them were persecuted then for their movement for the realisation of Bauchi State. Elders of the North East State were averse to the movement and preferred a unified North Eastern State. However, Amb. Bala Basa and Mukhtar Tahir late Talban Bauchi were close friends of Gen. Murtala Mohammed. Both worked with him in Lagos. Mukhtar Tahir was a director in the Federal Government. It was their influence that finally led to the realisation of Bauchi as a state as they were very close friends and all the while, Gen. Murtala was aware and part of their state’s struggle for independence.  Wakilin Tarihi stated that other states were also made states because of Bauchi state. This is not in any way intended to downplay the efforts of the other prominent personalities that worked assiduously for the cause, but to also highlight the inputs and efforts of people like Mukhtar Tahir and also Bala Basa who were very much instrumental and key to the realisation of the struggle. Mukhtar’s closeness to Gen. Murtala was a huge part of the coming of Bauchi State into being.

Fast forward to the present day Bauchi, Bala Mohammed’s astronomical strides in the infrastructural development of Bauchi state in the last 6 years, have made us proud and we now go toe to toe with our peers in terms of year of realisation. Before now, Bauchi was hugely dusted by its peers and was far left behind by its contemporaries. A few weeks back my cousin from Sokoto came to Bauchi for a condolence visit and he was wowed by what he saw. He confessed to me that Bauchi has changed a lot! He had to be taken around because he couldn’t find his way.

On a piece titled, ‘The Urban renewal of Bauchi’ published by Blueprint Newspapers on 10th July, 2024; I tried to capture Bala Mohammed’s infrastructural do-over of Bauchi State. In this piece however, I urge him to immortalise some of these founding fathers of Bauchi State, especially Mukhtar Tahir, the late Talba the second, who is the elder brother of the colossus Dr. Ibrahim Tahir, late Talba the third. It would be an honor well deserved if one of the major roads or other structures built by his administration were named after Mukhtar Tahir. Each time Bauchi is being discussed and detailed, his name is usually not in the conversation. Perhaps because he died long ago. But quite frankly his role should not be forgotten. His contribution ought to be celebrated. I therefore humbly seek Gov. Bala Mohammed’s kind intervention in this matter. May God bless him for giving Bauchi a new and befitting look.