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Opinions of Monday, 8 February 2021

Columnist: latestnewsplus.com

Fulanis and war of conquering: Where are the history teachers?

A Fulani man A Fulani man

This is why history must be taught in our schools. Those who neglect History are bound to repeat the mistakes of the past.

The story is told of how King Yunfa, the Hausa Sarki in Gobir (now called Sokoto) hosted a Fulani immigrant called Usman Dan Fodiyo and his group in February 1804, as a result of this and since 1808 the whole of the northern region lost its kingdoms and was replaced by Fulani emirates.

King Yunfa is said to have been killed in 1808 and the Fulani warrior (Usman Dan Fodiyo) established Sokoto caliphate, making himself Sultan.

Gradually, other Hausa kingdoms were pillaged and taken over by the Fulani emirs including all the kingdoms ruled by Queen Amina of Zazzau ... Little wonder, the Emirate throne of Zaria today is ruled by Fulani Families which Usman Dan Fodio placed on throne as a reward to his Soldiers.

The ethnic groups in the core north were the first victims of Fulani imperialism, a venture that occurred because the people were given access to grazing land as a result of the hospitality of the hosts.

They, however, failed to overrun the Bornu and Jukun kingdoms, so the Shehu of Bornu and Aku Uka remains paramount till today!

The Afonja dynasty compromised by allowing a Fulani warrior known as Janta Alimi to settle in Ilorin, the Fulani guerrillas killed Afonja in 1824

And Ilorin, a Yoruba town under the Oyo empire, fell into Fulani hands, becoming an emirate under Sokoto caliphate till today! Even the attempts of the O'odua People's Congress (OPC) to revert to status quo ante and crown an Onilorin of Ilorin became an exercise in futility.

The Yoruba warriors got wise and defeated the Fulani jihadists in Ogbomosho in 1840, if this didn't happen there would most likely have been Fulani "emirs" as rulers in Oyo Alaafin, Ibadan, Owo, Oshogbo, Ede, Ado, and Igede Ekiti today!

If the Bini Kingdom did not fight and repel the jihadists, they would have penetrated the Edo/Delta region beyond the present-day Edo North Senatorial District which gave in and allowed the jihadists to overrun & Islamize them.

Along with some ignorant folk, most of them are now angling for grazing areas and a corridor through the entire federation. These grazing areas will in future become Fulani settlements, later communities and finally local government areas with elected officials.

If Yunfa didn't accommodate Fodio and his warlike immigrants from Futatoro, Hausa sarkis would be ruling today in the north!

And if Afonja didn't conspire with Alimi, a Yoruba kingdom would not have been ruled by Alimi's offspring till today!

It's an age-old political strategy really - create a problem, come up with a "solution" that advances the cause, and then give it a legal backing.

L'owe, l'owe la nlu ilu agidigbo.