A History of Biu, Bukar Usman, Klamidas Communications Ltd, Abuja, 2015, pp. 693
Henry Akubuiro
Unlike many retired bureaucrats, who, after retirement from public service, merely vegetate and luxuriate, Dr. Bukar Usman’s time, since his retirement in 1999 as a permanent secretary in the presidency, has been one of intellectual fecundity. A History of Biu, his latest publication, the third in the Biu Emirate Studies Series, is another pacesetting effort from the prolific author.
If whoppers don’t appeal to you, Usman’s 693-page book is no prototype. The colourful paper back cover is the first thing that enthralls you, needless to say the detailed contents replete with tables, illustrations, pictures and appendix. But the real gourmet treat gets underway as each chapter unfurls.
A book in four sections, the author begins with a geographical overview of the Biu Emirate before recounting the pre and post-colonial history of the emirate and Biu after independence. With the abundant factual and pictorial resources you find in A History of Biu, it exemplifies a writer with latitude to dig into the palimpsest. Indeed, it took the author eight years to complete the project in 2014, and the result is a revelatory account of an emirate that has surpassed previous narratives.
The location and physical features of the emirate is the focus of the first chapter. We get to learn that it is the first city of the Babur/Bura and a provincial hub of commerce and cultural renaissance in present-day Borno State. It is also the capital of a local government and headquarters of Biu Emirate. The author also furnishes us with facts regarding the latitude and longitude of the emirate, population density, number of local governments and distance from Biu to some big cities, the topography and climate (which is considered the most clement in north-eastern Nigeria). Pictures of the flora and fauna, plus tourist attractions in and around Biu territory, wrap up the chapter.
The pre-colonial history of Biu, as you learn in the second section, is one that stirs imagination. Here, the author draws from recorded occurrences across generations, as well as events and personages authenticated by oral tradition. Using oral tradition and recorded history, Usman situates the matrix of Biu dynasty to the great patriarch, Yamtarawala, a Kanuri prince who was said to have departed from the palace of Ngazargamo, the capital of the Kanuri Sheikhdom, and whose arrival was characterized by exploits in Biu. However, the author does not bulk in recounting the contradictions in Yamtarawala story that abound in oral tradition, ending the chapter impressively with the lists of chiefs in Biu.
The settlement history of kingdom groups form the basis of the third chapter. The historic towns of Miringa, Mandaragrau, Kogu, Buratai, Bam, Gur, Sakwa, Kwajaffa, Kwaya Bura, Kwaya Kusar, Wawa, Zobi, Wandali, Brihyel, Jara Nda’li, Zara, Balbaya, Wuyo, Fikahyel, Teli, Shani, Jara Gol and Lassa are covered in this chapter. Broadening the narrative, Usman echoes claims of Middle East Origin by some settlements, contrasting it with myths and origin of other dynasties of Nigeria.
The fourth chapter dwells on traditional administration of Biu. Foregrounding the establishment of Biu Kingdom, the book traces the roots of the aboriginal Babur/Bura, who bonded with the indigenous neighbouring tribes along the line. The first capital, writes the author, founded by Yamtarawala, was Limbur. Kmjikarwa later became headquarters of Biu Kingdom with the ascendancy of Kuthli Garga Kopchi. Sequel to the presentation of a chronological list of Biu capital towns, Usman goes on to establish the early plan of Biu Town (divided into Wuyaku and S’l-Undla, dominated by native Babur and strangers respectively), the traditional system of administration, Biu chieftaincy succession, burial and appointment of new Kuthli of Biu, kingmakers of Biu, and the like.
The third section also contains the chapter on people and languages of Biu Kingdom. He traces the ethnic ties among the clans in the kingdom, Biu ethnic groups and the Bura subgroups, mentioning specific territories occupied by these groups. In addition, he highlights the historical issues that tend to divide the Babur and Bura, including the Yamtarawala narrative. This chapter also classifies Biu clan names vis: profession, place of origin, royal family, given name, among other criteria.
While the sixth chapter focuses on the cultural practices of Biu Kingdom groups, including its rich artworks, the seventh chapter is on the arrival of the British in Biu Kingdom, where, we are told, is one of the last places to be colonized. In the eight chapter, native authority administration is explained in details, just as how western education made inroad into the kingdom comes up in the 10th chapter.
The concluding chapters in this interesting read are historical accounts of economic, social and political developments in the emirate, as well as the unique values, lifestyle, sports and places of tourist attraction in the area with a surfeit of pictures. The rich appendix that enriches the book, including maps, tables and photos, provides a coda for Usman’s amazing research. At the end, the spotlight on world events leaves the reader to have a firm grip on the history of our modern world in flux. This book should firmly occupy a pride of place in every bookshelf.