A tale of forgotten Hadejia airstrip

HADEJIA A YAU!

Many years ago the residents of Hadejia and adjoining villages, mostly Fulani herders saw an airplane hovering around while descending slowly; they all abandoned what they were doing and thronged to the airstrip located about two kilometers away from Hadejia town in order to catch a glimpse of the gigantic flying object.

Daily Trust on Sunday gathered that the airstrip which was said to have been opened in 1954 was only used for transporting high profile personalities, who were mostly colonial masters.

It was gathered that the former Premier of the regional government of defunct Northern Nigeria and the Sardauna of Sokoto, Ahmadu Bello, used the airstrip while on a campaign rally in Hadejia emirate.

The airstrip which had only a windsock as landing and take-off instrument was used only for very important occasions.

Although there are various versions on how the airstrip looked at that time as some sources said there was a literite compacted runway, while others said it was just a dusty plain land that served as the runway.

In any case, what remains of the airstrip include two dilapidated structures and a plain land with demarcation signs, suggesting it is no longer in use. The land has also been allocated for development.

As most of such airstrips across the country, it could only accommodate small planes which carry six to seven passengers.

Daily Trust on Sunday gathered that when it was in use, a canopy was always erected for receiving personalities. 

Security agents drafted to the airstrip during such visits were the royal guards and the Native Authority policemen.

Adamu Dede, a Fulani herder who said he witnessed the landing and take-off of an airplane from the airstrip on about three different occasions, said though he was only seven years of age, he could remember the dust that took over the entire area whenever the plane was taxing for taking off.

He added that at that time, whenever they noticed “the big flying object coming close to the ground, we would rush to the airstrip because that meant that a plane was about to land.”

Dede, who was seen rearing cattle on the land once used as the airstrip, told our correspondent that at that time, their major concern was to see the airplane land, not the personalities on board.

Dede, who is now about 60 years of age, added that at that time age or sex didn’t matter as they all rushed out each time a plane approached the airstrip. 

On how long the plane usually stayed on ground before taking off, Dede said it remained at the airstrip for about three to four hours before it flew back to base.

He said he could remember that there was a flag in the place, probably that was the windsock which aided the pilot in determining not only the direction of the wind but also the velocity of the wind.

Dede who spoke with excitement recalled that the plane he saw on three different occasions bore different designs.

He said they were all white in colour but with different stripes.

He added that the royal guards, who were fully in charge of security, were always on horse- back.

“No one could go close to the plane let alone touch it. Apart from the few who were privileged to go to Saudi Arabia on pilgrimage, nobody can say exactly what the interiors of the plane was like. I was a child then and you know children of those days were not so inquisitive,” he said. 

Speaking to Wazirin Hadejia, Alhaji Hashim Amar, said the airstrip was established in 1954, and that he was a primary school pupil at that time.

The Waziri recalled that when the Premier of Northern Nigeria, Ahmadu Bello, came to Hadejia they assembled at the airstrip to welcome him.

Amar, however, added that he could not speak much about the airstrip, which functioned mainly between 1954 and 1965, because he left Hadejia for school in Kano.

He added that the airstrip was last used by Ahmadu Bello in September,1965, when he came for political campaign, saying, there was information that apart from Ahmadu Bello, the military also used the airstrip.

By Haruna Aliyu Hadejia 

THE FULANI EMPIRE.....

HADEJIA A YAU. 

<sup>With place names, though there is a growing measure of standard- ization, a number of variations still have currency. Some of them, such as Garin Gabas and Kalembina, are incorrect and should be discarded. With others, however, where the best spelling is still an open question, a choice can legitimately be exercised. Hence Hadeija rather than Hadejia and, among proper names, Fodiyo and Jaidu rather than Fodio and Jedo.

At that time there were a number of small principalities Auyo, Bedde, Shira, and Tashena lying between Bornu and Hausa land. They were under the jurisdiction of the Galadima and it was there that the reformers now rose against the authority of Bornu. First of all a pastoral Fulani called Abdure, or Abduwa, threw off his allegiance and declared for Shehu. Although he himself died very soon afterwards, his two sons, Umaru and Sambo, obtained a flag and a commission to subdue the principality of Auyo.

This they very soon did. Next they took possession of the town of Hadejia, which they enlarged and strengthened, and from there they proceeded to extend their authority over the intervening and surrounding towns and villages. One of these, incidentally, was Garun Gabas, the only one of the original Hausa Bakwai which had failed to develop into even a principality. This territory became the nucleus of the Emirate of Hadejia.

Meanwhile, another Fulani, Ardo Lareima, had also joined the Jihad. He lived near Nguru and, before the war, had been the agent appointed by the Galadima to collect tax and tribute from the pastoral Fulani in the district. Although the Galadima had given him a daughter in marriage he declared for Shehu and urged the Fulani to rise. In the first clash Lareima was defeated, but later, when he had been reinforced by Sambo of Hadejia and Ibrahim Zaki of Shira, whom we shall meet again later, he was completely victorious.</sup>

Bornu forces were defeated, Nguru sacked, and the Galadima killed. The destruction of Nguru and the consolidation of Hadejia meant that in the northern sector of Bornu’s western frontier the reformers had been completely successful.

After the destruction of Nguru and the capture of Hadejia, the Fulani made their next move against Shira, which Ibrahim Zaki, whose adopted country it was, invaded and occupied in 1807. The three leaders then met near Damaturu and agreed upon a concerted plan of campaign. While Ibrahim Zaki attacked Tashena.

Although the Fulani had failed to crush Bornu, as before the emergence of El-Kanemi had seemed likely, they had nevertheless made substantial gains at Bornu’s expense. In the north-west Sambo Digimsa had established the new Emirate of Hadejia. In the west Ibrahim Zaki had welded Shira and Tashena together to form the new Emirate of Katagum. In the south Buba Yero had carved the new Emirate of Gombe out of pagan lands over which Bornu had previously held sway.

All these leaders had received flags from Shehu during the fighting and were now recognized by him as the rulers of the territory which they controlled.

By the year 1810 the first phase in the creation of the Fulani Empire was complete. The former States of Gobir, Zamfara, and Kebbi had been merged into one and had become the metropolitan Sultanate. In Kano, Katsina, and Zazzau, as we have seen, the Hausa Chiefs had been driven out and supplanted by Fulani Emirs. In western Bornu the new Emirates of Hadejia and Katagum had been created. Similarly, in the south-east the Emirates of Gombe, Adamawa, and Bauchi had been forged out of formerly pagan lands and were still in the process of enlarging their territory and influence.

the fulani empire of sokoto
by h. a. s. johnston
Publication date 1967.