By Abdulbaqee Ango
When Mallam Ibrahim Dabo moved to the city he settled in Yakasai quarters around Massalacin Jalli where he used to lead in prayers, as well as teach Holy Qur’an and other Islamic books.
After the demised of the Chief Imam, Mallam Ibrahim Dabo later moved to Galadanci quarters and was appointed as the Chief Imam of Galadanci Mosque (the then city central mosque).
Among the children of Mallam Ibrahim Dabo and his wife Naiwa (daughter of Modibbo Ɗanhawa) were Yusuf Ɗanlawan, Chiroma Mamuda, and Aisha Kumbota (from whose the name Kumbotso town was derived).
There was a famous Islamic song (waƙe as fondly called) known as Bakandamiya (written about 200 years ago) in which the name of Mamman ƊanHawa was mentioned as follows:
“Shehu Salihu yaji ga Hashimu,
Shehu Hashimu yaji ga Mamman Tukur,
Mamman Tukur yaji ga Mamman Ɗan Hawa,
Wanda shikuma yaji daga Shehu Mujaddadi,
Uban Rufa’i uban Isan Kware.
Cewar lokacin rikicewar Duniya,
In ya gabato kowa ya sani. Mai shi a hana masa godiya,
Mai babu ko ahana masa dangana” Literally, the song means Sheik Salihu heard it one-on-one with Hashimu, while Sheik Hashimu heard it from Mamman Tukur, and Mamman Tukur heard it from Mamman DanHawa who also told him that, he heard it from Sheikh Usman bin Fodio…..things that would happen during the ends time…..”.
Compounds of Mamman Danhawa and his other 3 brothers
The compound where Mamman Danhawa lived his life in Kwankwaso is the compound housing all the subsequent Sarakunan Fulanis (Village Heads) of the town including the incumbent. While the remaining houses of his other brothers, that of Yusuf Turaki Gandi was and is still at the present day Gidan Fulani, in kofar gabas area (the house where this author was born), that of Suleiman is in the present Zaure Bakwai housing the Zawiyya of Mallam Amiru in Kofar Yamma area (a cluster of 7 compounds of extended families), and the house of Usman Shehu is presently where Kwankwaso Cottage Hospital is situated.
All the people mentioned above have their scions and progenies living in the areas stated, with many living outside Kwankwaso town even Kano in general.
Those who ruled Kwankwaso as Sarkin Fulani or village heads
1. Mamman Danhawa (1808-1842)
2. Atiku bin Mamman Hawa(1842-1883
3. Suleiman Dabo (1883-1900)
4. Abdulkadir (1900-1919)
5. Muhammad Tukur (1919-1934)
6. Ahmadu Rufa’i (1934-1942)
7. Abdullahi bin Sale (1942-1954)
8. Musa bin Sale (1954-2000)
9. Sale Musa sale (2000 – 2020)
10. Yahaya Musa Sale (2020 – till -date).
Note, that the author of this piece contested the same stool while it was declared vacant, due to the death of (our father) the late Majidadi of Kano, and the subsequent turbaning of Alh. Sale Musa Sale (Baaba) its former occupant was the new Makaman Karaye and the District Head of Madobi, however for the dialogue and the persuasion he later, brotherly stepped down for the incumbent.
The arrival of train to Kano and the designation of Kwankwaso town as a train station
When the colonialists arrived in the country, they constructed a railway line between Lagos – Kano – Maiduguri (1910-1916 and along the line sited smaller (local stations) to serve the needs of the populous, particularly around the areas.
From Zaria, one would reach those stations such as Likoro, Gimi, Anchau, Kuya, Ɗangora, Yako, Madobi, Kwankwaso, Challawa, Mundaɗu, and finally arrived at Kano main.
There is no doubt that this development has tremendously brought numerous progress to those areas, and Kwankwaso was not an exception. In doing so, it allowed the locals to mingle or associated with people of different ethnic backgrounds including white men, this surely gave the people around the area an opportunity to, first came into early contact with modernity and the new (western) civilization compared to their peers in other areas.
This informed the siting of the National Electricity Company (NEC) in a stone-throw Challawa (Panshekara) area in 1926 (the only source of electricity for Kano) and the establishment of a Water Treatment Plant (which subsequently metamorphosed to WRECA & Waterboard), almost same period and in the same area, as well the location of an industrial estate (Challawa Industrial Estate), these had positively impacted on the lives of the people of the area.
In the same vein, people of the area seized the opportunity to enroll their wards, in the then elementary and primary schools, no wonder at no distant time the area produced very notable figures in the society, including a 2nd Republic Senator, Alh. Hamisu Musa of blessed memory, Mallam Yusuf Maitama (Kanwa) Kura, Brigadier Halliru Akilu, and Dr. Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso to mention, but a few.
Other settlers in Kwankwaso and its environs
Apart from the Haɓes and the Sulliɓawa Fulani clans that we mentioned to have been living in the area, over time other Fulani clans such as Mundiɓawas, Bororos, Wangarawas, Gyanawa, and Ningi people later migrated to the area. There is a whole community in the southward of the town referred to as Ningawa (meaning people of Ningi origin who settled in the area.
Among the Gyanawa clan living in the area, were the families of Sarkin Fulani Sale, the grandfather of his Excellency Eng. Dr. Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso. Similarly, from the Gyanawa clan, was also Mallam Ali the son of Mallam Iliya who migrated to the village.
He (Mallam Iliya) was the blood brother of Mallam Yusuf the father of the famous revolutionary, the first and second Republic Politician, founder of NEPU and PRP, Mallam Aminu Kano of blessed memory.
It was reported that Mallam Aminu Kano at his tender age lived in Kwankwaso together with the said Mallam Ali, his cousin brother.
Similarly, following the conclusion of the Kano Royals War among the scions of Mallam Ibrahim Dabo, popularly tagged as “Yakin Basasa’ and the demise of the then Emir of Kano Muhammadu Tukur (1893-1894), his son Muhammad Bello migrated to Lambu village present Tofa local government, and after his death, two of his sons Mahmud and Abdulkadir migrated to Kwankwaso and Sabon Garu area (in Kanwa village) respectively.
Though Mallam Bashari the son of Abdulkadir later migrated from Sabon Garu to meet his other brothers in Kwankwaso. My maternal grandmother Sa’adatu was the daughter of Muhammad Maude the son of Usman son Mahmud son of Muhammad Bello son of Muhammadu Tukur son of Muhammadu Bello son of Mallam Ibrahim Dabo.
However, as we all mentioned the Fulani clans in the area, it’s important to note, intermarriages that have been taking place among them, had mandated them to have become one as brothers, sisters, and uncles.
Conclusively, I can categorically state that apart from the aforementioned tribes other tribes who could have been found, though neutralized in the area are Kanuris, Nupes, and or Gwaris, perhaps due to their religious and cultural affinities, however, we don’t have a trace of a single Yoruba or an Igbo descent who lived in Kwankwaso and the environs, and who made the place home over the last 100 years and beyond.
Surely, not that, we don’t have Yoruba or Igbo who transacts businesses in the area presently or in the past, but we don’t have any who made the place a home.
Most especially with the death of the Nigerian Railway Corporation about 3 decades ago, no single alien of Yoruba or Igbo extraction is populating Kwankwaso town at the moment, meaning that have all moved back to their areas of origin.
Hence, it’s a blatant lie and misleading to even think of an Igbo man as the founder of Kwankwaso town.
Abdulbaqee Ango wrote from Gidan Fulani Kwankwaso in town
