By: Prof Salisu Shehu (Walin Tafawa-Balewa)
Since 1991, when the Sayawa terrorists attacked the Muslim community in Tafawa-Balewa town, His Highness the District Head of Lere Chiefdom (at the time), Alhaji Muhammadu Lullu, migrated to Bauchi town because most parts of his palace had been burned down. They did not just burn the palace; within that compound, they carried out a massacre of Muslims—especially women, children, and the elderly—who had taken the house as a refuge. In this District Head’s house, they killed over eighty people.
Due to the general displacement from the town, the corpses could not be buried until almost a week later when an Imam was sent from the Palace of His Royal Highness the Emir of Bauchi to handle the burial rites for these bodies. They couldn’t be washed or shrouded because they had already started to decompose and smell. A massive grave (MASS GRAVE) was dug (just like that), and they were pushed in with a caterpillar because no one could go near them at the time. Whoever doubts this should make an effort to visit the District Head’s house (the house is still an abandoned ruin); they will see that MASS GRAVE. This writing is not the place to elaborate further, otherwise we would list the names of all those killed in the District Head’s house on that Monday, April 22, 1991. If a wizard forgets, the mother of the child will never forget. But we must mention here that among those killed in the District Head’s house was Malam Aliyu Sarkin cikin garin Tafawa-Balewa (over 70 years old at the time).
But another pressing concern is this: in the new system of injustice that has been put in place, the District Head’s house, the Jumu’ah Mosque in front of the house (which has been turned into a dumping ground where people defecate and urinate), and our other Jumu’ah Mosques—some of which have become ruins and others deserted—we do not know their status or their future.
Will this newly appointed “Sarkin Chaka” (a derogatory term for the new ruler) in Tafawa-Balewa be moved into the District Head’s palace to reside over the lives and blood that his kinsmen destroyed, to rule over that MASS GRAVE? Or what exactly is the situation?
Furthermore, if he is moved into that palace, will he tear down that Jumu’ah Mosque and build a church? Or will he allow the mosque building to be renovated and the call to prayer (Adhan), congregational prayers, and Jumu’ah prayers to be observed in front of his palace? Is that even possible? While the main criterion for becoming king in their system of governance is that the person must not be a Muslim. The irony lies in the fact that this palace of the District Head, the Commander of the Faithful’s Army (Sarkin Yakin Daular Usmaniyya), the late Yakubu Dan Bauchi I, was established by him. And now this same palace has a condition stipulated that a Muslim has no right or entitlement to seek its rulership; it is known that this condition was established on the premise of disintegrating the USMANIYYA CALIPHATE.
The reason why it is imperative to ask where this newly appointed ruler of Tafawa-Balewa will reside is this: If the traditional leadership is based on historical lineage, then it is mandatory to take him to that same District Head’s house which was destroyed and where genocide took place. Because that is the source of history where District Heads ruled and led, and established congregational prayers and Jumu’ah for over two hundred years, since the founding of the Bauchi Emirate under Yakubu Dan Bauchi I. If he is not placed in that District Head’s Palace, then it is confirmed that it is merely a superficial action, not based on historical lineage. “And the example of a bad word is like a bad tree, uprooted from the surface of the earth, having no stability.”
“Allah keeps firm those who believe with the firm word, in worldly life and in the Hereafter. And Allah lets the wrongdoers go astray, and Allah does what He wills.”
And just as we have asked questions about the fate of the District Head’s palace and the Jumu’ah Mosque in front of the palace, we will also ask about the fate of the District Head himself, His Highness the Barden Bauchi, District Head of Tafawa-Balewa, Alhaji Sulaiman Muhammad.
In this new system of injustice, his status has not been clarified to us. He has been left in limbo. He is a direct descendant of the House of Ajiya Bauchi (one of the KING MAKERS of the Bauchi Emirate). And in this position of District Head, he inherited his fathers and grandfathers who held the title of Ajiyan Bauchi in that house for over a hundred years. He inherited it from his father Barden Bauchi Alhaji Muhammadu Lullu. He inherited it from his uncle Ajiyan Bauchi, Alhaji Adamu Tafawa-Balewa. He inherited Ajiya Attahiru, Ajiya Zubairu, Ajiya Umaru, Ajiya Jarkanwa, etc. As we said, it is a matter of over two hundred years. This history of ours is what they want to forcefully erase.
Among the steps taken to erase our history to satisfy the world that we have not been wronged, is the lie being spread that we have all sold our houses to Christians, and therefore we have given up on the town.
First of all, we do not deny that some people have sold houses and properties. But many of us have not sold, and by the grace of Allah, we will never sell. In fact, our strength had run out. But it reached a point where if a Muslim put a house or land up for sale, we would buy it.
If those spreading lies about us have doubts, they should go to our neighborhood in Tafawa-Balewa. Our houses are directly behind the District Head’s palace. And all the houses of our descendants form one entire neighborhood because of our large numbers. Praise be to Allah. By the grace of Allah, we have not sold an inch of our houses and properties.
How can we sell our house when there is a mosque ruin (Kagon Masallaci) and a Qur’anic school (Tsangayar Kur’ani) in front of our house? If we sell, that means we have agreed for the mosque and the Qur’anic school to become one of these things I will mention below:
• Either a church is built in place of the mosque and Qur’anic school.
• Or the place is turned into a beer parlor.
• Or the place of the mosque becomes a place for raising dogs and pigs, or a pig slaughterhouse. God forbid! Absolutely God forbid!
No retreat, no surrender!!! If Allah wills.
But then, haven’t those who say we sold our houses ever thought that maybe those who are buying the lands and properties are the strangers in the town then?
The Hausas said, “My joy is that tomorrow comes quickly.” “The world is a maiden’s dance, the one in front goes to the back.”
Hassan Wayam also said: His relationship with the world is that it takes up and puts down. If you raise us up, O world, please put us down gently, gently.
Allah, the Blessed, the Almighty, says:
“And those who have wronged are going to know to which [kind of] return they will be returned.”
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