The Origin Of Jimeta

By Yusuf Dan-UmmaJimeta and ‘Laka District’Friday 24th December 2021,

I represented the Concerned Citizens of Jimeta District at the Public Hearing on Adamawa State District Creation Repeal and Re-Enactment Bill 2021 and Other Matters organized by the Adamawa State House of Assembly Ad-Hoc Committee on District Creation.

The hearing started noisily, but then later went well. The House of Assembly Speaker, Aminu Iya Abbas spoke well, but he kept on emphasizing that the Bill is not a product of the Executive Arm of the Government nor Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri’s baby, but from the traditional class. Many people don’t believe it.

The speaker’s continued pointing fingers at the traditional class appears fishy. Being the legislators, they should just do their job based on fairness and for public trust without any selfishness.

Many communities requested for additional districts through submissions, however very few were present at the hearing, probably due to the poor timing- festivities period and poor public enlightenment. Reports by some media organizations say, a Christian group has condemned the assembly for conducting the hearing on the eve of Christmas day, Though the hearing will continue on Wednesday and Thursday, Dec 29th and 30th 2021.

Two submissions caught my attention- First, Michika Elders Forum rejected the creation of additional districts in Michika but they want a chiefdom.

Second- The Laka community of Jimeta requested for the change of name of the proposed Nasarawo-Abba District to Laka District- They argue that Nasarawa-ABBA is someone’s name and Laka people are the original ‘owners’ of Jimeta. They want the Tribal name ‘Laka’ to replace Nasarawo-ABBAThis is an interesting presentation by a people that are not up 2% of the population in Jimeta, and out of the 167 polling units is Jimeta, they don’t have one.

They also failed to know that Jimeta started from the River Benue Bank, (bakin Kogi) populated by the Bata people. The area was also known as Kotan Jimta derived from a Bata man’s name, Jimta, who was in charge of the crossing of the river. It was also called Kotan Mr. Mamman, a German trader. Salihu (Solo) and Yusuf Chuchicu were Mr. Mamman’s Children -Mr. Mamman was the grandfather of late Adamu Italy. Many of his great-grandchildren are alive living in clerk’s quarters and the Limawa areas.

Jimeta was first formed by three tribes around the River Benue Bank- Bata, Fulani, and Hausa peoples, the Bata were fishermen and canoe owners at the River Bank, they were from Rugange, Vnikilang, Bajabure and Njoboliyo etc – few kilometers away from the riverbank, The Fulani brought organized administration in the area through the Adamawa Emirate Council, while the Hausa came from Hore ladde from the present Wuro Hausa in Yola town.

Lamido Zubairu was involved in trade by barter with the European traders in the area. Sarki Alu of Kano also came around 1903 with some traders and scholars, other very important early comers were Kanuri, Zabarmawa and Nupawa.

There was no Laka person that settled along the river bank with this first set of people.The first Jimeta started from the River Bank, Limawa area, Gwadabawa (clerk’s Quarters), Yelwa, Majalisa, Alkalawa up to Rumde- ending at the present-day Mubi roundabout.

Rumde was the military base of the Adamawa Emirate, After the present-day  Mubi roundabout, the rest of the area was referred to as Dajin Gomnati.In 1911, the Europeans did the first layout of the original Jimeta- River Bank,  Limawa area, Gwadabawa ( clerk’s Quarters), Yelwa, Majalisa, Alkalawa up to Rumde ending at the present-day Mubi roundabout. The uniqueness of this area still exist- after every street, there is a kind of ‘sewage system’- a recess  ( lungu)  behind all the houses- for example after Majalisa street- there is one, after Tafida street, there is one as well behind all the houses after Mohammed Mustafa way is there is one behind the houses, after  Yelwa street there is a one- popularly called lungun barankaci, after Jimeta street, there is one as well. This system is only found at the original Jimeta.

The first beneficiaries of the layout with original documents still have their great-grandchildren and lineages living in their original houses. Few among the first beneficiaries were:1.    Maduga Kwata, grandmother of late Baban Kwata. Later purchased by Madugu Ali- Kudi Ba Abun Banza Ba, who is the father of late Inuwa Kano2.    Madugu Mai Azumi- the father of late Ibrahim Attah and his brothers3.    Madugu Babare – the father of late Saleh Minister4.    Sarkin Zango- Father of late Ibrahim Baban Dije5.   

Abubakar Kaluma – the father of late Malam Babba Maharbi- Abba Mallam Babba is among his grandchildren6.    Baba Badon (the richest man in Adamawa Emirate at that period)- senior brother of late Mallam Ibrahim and Mai Anguwa Yahaya-  Ishaku Mai Block, Garba Mai Record and Mai Anguwa Lukman are among their children7. 

  Malam Saidu-  father of late Danumma8.    Hammawa Dillali- father of the late Tanko Hammawa9.    Alh Tafida-  Father of late Baba Tafida,10. Yayya- wife of Sarkin Zango – She is a Maduga as well, she was the senior sister to the late Danumma grandmother.   

I am among her great-grandchildren.11. Sarki Jirgi- Father of  late Alhaji Baban Dako12. Mallam Inda Usman- Father of late Shehu Bazi13. Mallam Hassan- Father of Na Kababido14. Mallam Babba- grandfather of Salihu Baba Ahmed15.

Mallam Bulama of Hajja Maryam16. Mallam Kyari- Father of late Madu Kime- Talban Adamawa      The first Mai Anguwa in Jimeta was Mallam Haruna Dankoli- The grandfather of late Bala Tella, then his younger brother Ali Dankoli took over, then Samanja Mallam,  Samanja Mallam house was beside the present-day First Mosque of Izala in Jimeta- Gidan Sheik Muazu Abubakar.

After Samanja Mallam, Gimba took overIn 1912 Lamido Abba organized Jimeta into four wards- Gwadabawa- Mallam Bello was the first ward – Hajiya Kande was among his children- his great-grandchildren are still alive, Limawa with Mallam Yahya as ward head –Alkalawa with Na Bankure as ward head- late  Idi Kasim was among his grandchildren, while Yelwa had Mallam Lawal as his ward head- Hajia Rabi -Ya- Babba is one of his grandchildren- Alh Usman Wakili Ibrahim is one  his great-grandchildrenFrom then Jimeta got Village Head – Sergeant Hassan Ajiya was the first village head, then Dan Iya , after Dan Iya, Alh Fari served as Wakili, After Baba Ajiya, Jimeta was upgraded to a district- Dan Amar was the first district head, the second is the present – Dan Isa Adamawa- Alh Baba Paris.

Nasarawa was the place that Lamido Abba always camped and rest before going to Namtari- which brought ‘life’ to the area,  the Nasarawo mosque was built by him because he always stay there before proceeding to Namtari – thus the name Nasarawo-Abba,The former deputy of Adamawa state – Ambassador Ibrahim Jimeta has authored a detailed book about the history of Jimeta. His father Sajen Ali was a colonial soldier.

The above brief history of Jimeta is to dispute the claim by the Laka people that they are the original settlers in Jimeta. They came to the Nasarawo area around 1918- 1920 after the First World War en route to their birthplaces in Chad, Cameroon and Central Africa. Yola was the only town having an airstrip thus they were brought here to facilitate their movement to their roots.

They were soldiers in the first world war with no traceable villages in Adamawa state- but can be found Jimeta (nasarawo, luggere)  The language was only recently documented in the mid-2010s according to Wikipedia. And, interestingly, it is not among the Nigerian tribes, so anyone registering for a National ID Card cannot find Laka as a tribe.

They are a composite of some 16 tribes found in central Africa, Cameroon and Chad. But they are now our brothers in Jimeta and some parts of Adamawa state- Mubi and Lakare Gurin, FuforeThe proposal by the Laka community that is not up to 2% of the population to change the proposed Nasarwa-Abba District to Laka district is one of the dangers foresee by Jimeta people opposing the creation of additional districts in Jimeta- the Danger of disunity and sentiment – Now tribal sentiment has come-in. Sad!!!

Stay Safe and Healthy. Enjoy your time!