SOCIO-CULTURAL VALUES OF YASHIKERA AND ITS PEOPLE

SOCIO-CULTURAL VALUES OF YASHIKERA AND ITS PEOPLE

BY HRH UMARU USMAN SARIKI, EMIR OF YASHIKIRA

The contests for the exalted throne of Nikki brought about wars among the five princedoms that could vie for it. These contests also caused waves of movements out of Nikki in the beginning of the nineteenth century. One of such movements brought about the rivalry between the Sanu-Lafiaru and the Sessi-Makararu that made the town of Yashikira very famous. Yashikira is believed to have been in existence long before it was founded by noble Lafiaru Princes. The initial inhabitants of the town were aboriginal Baatonu (baruba) people of KANE clan who had in the past lived in rocks artistically incised into habitable sizes for the families and indeed the entire community of the town. This served as a defensive mechanism for the people. This paper intends to review the social and cultural values of the past and present people of Yashikera which is also spelled as YASHIKIRA

THE RULERS OF YASHIKIRA:

The town was established around 1758 by SHERO LAFIA, son of Kpe-Lafia Gambaru. In 1827 UMARU BAKATARA, (a Lafiaru prince) opposed to Woru Kassakperegi, (a prince from Makararu) established his war camp at KALI also referred to as YASIKI-BANSU, (Old Yashikira). This site located on the top of a hill was a secured war-camp from where an ambush was laid for the famous Woru Kassakperegi who was beheaded around 1860. His remains buried at Kali made it acquire the new name of YASHIKIRU literally meaning “the tomb of the faros animal”, referring to the tomb of Woru Kassakperegi.

It is very important to mention that the basis of opposition between the Lafiaru princes of Nikki and the other dynasties is the ISLAMIC RELIGIOUS belief of the Lafiaru while others and more so the Makararu are ANIMIST and bear animist names such as Sero “Kpera” with reference to the worshiping of the stone of “MAKARA KPERU”. We also have Sero “TORU” Which is Sero “Fetish” in Dendi. Contrarily the Lafiaru are MUSLIMS with their headquarters at KALI or ALAFIARU founded in 1758 by SERO LAFIA son of Sabi ISIAKA son of Alimatu Zaria from Gwandu in Sokoto caliphate of those days.

Umaru Bakatara was himself killed in 1876 by Saka Yeruma at Kusso where he was believed to have been dragged out to, using charms since nobody could attack and win him at Kali. The antagonism of the Lafiaru and the Makararu did not stop there.

In fact Sero Kpera Ilorin Kpunon was after the life of SERO SOORO who was then studying Islamic religion and Arabic under Shehu ALIMI in Ilorin. Incidentally Alimi is believed to be a prince of Gwandu, home of the Grandmother of Sero Sooro. When Sero Kpera was killed in Ilorin, Sero Sooro was entrusted by Alimi to return to Nikki with all the royal instruments of Nikki (the sacred big drums and trumpets).

SABI KPASSI, named ALBARKA SERE took over the ruler ship of Yashikira in 1876. In the year 1896, Sabi Kpassi resigned his appointment after himself and his brother failed to ascend to throne of Nikki. He earlier went to invite his brother Ojo from Gbedebereru to come and take the throne in Nikki.

OJO also known as WORU YORU then ruled Yashikira from 1896 to 1903 when he became SABI NAINA, KING of NIKKI.

From 1903 to 1910 the British unsuccessfully imposed YARU SUNON KUMA and later MASSI ZABARMA from 1910 to 1912 to rule Yashikira. Consequently from 1903 to 1912 there was a mass movement of people from Yashikira to Nikki because they could not understand why Yashikira was ruled by the British while Nikki was placed under the French.

SHERO DANRI, a nephew of Sabi Kpassi was appointed as Chief of Yashikira in 1910 when Borgu was in the hand of one ABBA, a political agent from Yelwa. When Abba fell out with the Chief of Kaiama he had the intention of making Sero Danri the Paramount Ruler of West Borgu in place of Mora Tasude. Then Abba named Shero Danri SARIKIN YAMMA. But he (Shero Danri), committed suicide in 1914. The gazetteer of Ilorin Province reported, “The clean sweeps of officials in Kaiama was completed by the tragic death of Shero. He had been summoned from Yashikira to give evidence against Mashi Zabarma. Somebody informed him that he too would be imprisoned, and he hanged himself”.

On October 7th, 1912, Mora Tasude, the British imposed paramout ruler of West Borgu died and BLACKENEY wrote thus: “From the pure personal point of view of a Resident here, his place will be hard to fill”. HAMILTON BROWNE then wrote to the Secretary Northern Province 26-4-1916: “The proposal to put a Nikki prince on the throne will be merely reverting to following the family which they (the people of west Borgu) followed for generations before the British. As a possible Nikki candidate, Hamilton Browne suggested, one ALBARKA”.

Once again, Albarka Sabi Kpassi was lobbied with trumpets and drums to take the ruler ship of Yashikira. Unsatisfied with is placement under Kaiama, Sabi Kpassi retired and moved to ALAFIARU in 1932.

His son USMAN SUNON LAFIA took the title of SARKIN YAMMA while taking over the throne of Yashikira in 1932. He and other District Heads of Gwanara, Ilesha and Okuta obtained the dissolution of the Kaiama Native Authority in 1954. He then retrieved the trumpets given to his Father by the British from Kaiama in 1954 and started the likes of the Gaani festival of Nikki in Yashikira. He passed away in October 1974.

In 1975, ALHAJI AHMED SUNON LAFIA became EMIR of YASHIRA. He rose to the rank of second class Emir in 2005 and passed away in August 2010.

On 27th May, 2011, ALHAJI UMARU SARIKI, son of ALHAJI USMAN SARKIN YAMMA, became the 9th recognized Emir of Yashikira.

ANNUAL GAANI FESTIVAL IN YASHIKERA

Before Colonialism, the territory known as Yashikira was inhabited by different people, empires, tribes and kingdoms. These people made of about eight hundred thousand inhabitants have different cultures, belief, traditions and religions. However the city of Yashikira has 99.9% Muslims. The colonialist did not consider these divergent issues, but went ahead and merge them together as one. Yashikira is a society with abundant rich cultural heritage scattered among the diverse ethnic group. The towns’ culture are enriched through activities involved in their marriage, burial and birth rites. Also, music, folklore and religions are contributory factors. Some of these cultures are almost in extinct due to Western cultural influence and therefore needed to be revitalized through the few indigenes still alive who know about them.

Although, there are many festivals in

...