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How Hadeja people gallantly resisted colonialists’ occupation- By Prof Dahiru Yahaya

 By Muhammadu Bello Hadejia

“Strong faith and belief in Allah made Hadeja people faced colonial guns during 1906 colonial occupation”. This statement was made by Professor Dahiru Yahaya of the Bayero University, Kano, at the remembrance of Martyrs of colonial occupation in 1906,

  organized by the Resource Forum of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria under His Eminence Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky at the Husaina Millennium Park, Hajeda, Jigawa State. The event was organized to keep alive the remembrance of the martyrs and deduce lessons from the imposed colonial war, which also led to the martyrdom of emir of Hadeja, Muhammadu.

Delivering his paper titled, “Lessons from the Colonial War on Hadeja in Attempt to crush Sheikh Bin Fodiye Caliphate, Professor Yahaya said the Fodiye Caliphate witnessed peaceful co-existence and abundant resource before the incursion of western colonialists who came and plundered the resources and destroyed the serene atmosphere and the people’s rich cultural heritage. “We are however grateful to Allah that the colonialists did not wholly achieve their mission, if they had achieved their mission even the clothes we are wearing today would have been different. The conference was also was an indication that the colonialists have woefully failed in their mission”.

He further explained that, the colonialist started their incursion and subsequent occupation from the southern part of the country before coming to the north, adding that the Yoruba Muslims from Lagos informed northern Muslims of the coming of the colonials so that they were not taken unawares. “They tried their best to forestall the incursion but it was beyond their power”.

He pointed out that, people of Hadeja put in fierce resistance against colonialists’ entry into Hadeja, that they fought to death rather than surrender. According to him, some historians described the people as hard hearted people. “In the actual sense, people of Hadeja are not hard hearted as they are being described, it is their firm belief in Allah and Islam that made choose death than living as slaves under colonial rule”, he argued.

Professor Yahaya said, all hope was not lost as Allah intends mercy on people of this country with the emergence of Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky. “I will not shy away from saying that, when Malam Zakzaky was a student at the university, I was a university lecturer then. We have been watching him with keen interest, he had been an honest student, and whenever we come into contact we used to tell encourage him on the good thing he was doing, only that we were not physically with him. We however thank Allah for His mercy, that we now embraced his call when we are old”.

Professor Haruna Wakili Hadeja, who was represented by the Dr. Abbas, Provost of College of Islamic Legal Studies commended organizers of the event, saying that the event was organized for them as grandchildren of Emir Muhammadu Mai Shahada.

The event was attended by prominent people from all walks of life in Hadeja such as Alhaji Muhammad Abdulkadir Dan Isan Hadeja (retired), who is also direct descenant Emir Muhammad Mai Shahada;  Deputy Imam of Hadeja Juma’at mosque, Alhaji Habibu Aminu; representatives of Hadejia Development Cycle and Ha]ejia Forum 2015: Which Way Out?; representatives of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Hadeja branch; Hadeja Traders Association; Police and other security agencies.

Guests and participants proceeded to pay homage to the tomb of late Emir of Hadeja Malam Sambo (flag bearer of Sheikh Bin Fodiye) at Mai Rakumi town, 15 kilometres from Hadeja.