Dikwa Emirate

The Dikwa Emirate is a traditional state located in Borno State, Nigeria. Alongside the more senior Borno Emirate, the Dikwa Emirate is a remnant of the regime of the old Kanem–Bornu Empire, ruled by dynasts of the final Bornoan ruling dynasty (the al-Kanemi dynasty). The division of the Borno and Dikwa emirates can be traced back to the partitioning of the old empire's territory between British, French, and German colonial spheres of influence.

The Dikwa Emirate encompasses three Local Government Areas (Dikwa, Ngala, and Kala-Balge). The emirate also encompassed a fourth LGA, Bama, until it was separated into the distinct Bama Emirate in 2010.

Background

The al-Kanemi dynasty traces its rule to the early 19th century, when Muhammad al-Amin al-Kanemi (r. 1814–1837) and his son Umar bin Muhammad al-Amin (r. 1837–1881) supplanted the previous ruling lineage of the Kanem–Bornu Empire, the ''mai''s of the Sayfawa dynasty.

In 1893–1894, the empire was conquered by the Sudanese warlord Rabih az-Zubayr, who destroyed the al-Kanemi capital of Kukawa and instead selected Dikwa as his seat. Rabih was defeated by joint Bornoan and French forces in 1900, whereafter the French installed the al-Kanemi dynasty Sanda Kura as ''shehu'' at Dikwa. Sanda Kura proved dissatisfactory to the French colonial authorities and was soon replaced with his brother Abubakar Garbai. In 1902, Garbai accepted becoming the figurehead ruler of British Borno and left Dikwa, whereafter the entire former empire fell under colonial control. Garbai and his successors came to govern the traditional state that is today known as the Borno Emirate, ruling from Maiduguri since 1907. Garbai left Dikwa in the hands of his relative Sanda Mandarama, whose successors governed the Dikwa Emirate.

History

In 1902 Dikwa was part of the German colonial sphere of influence, under German Cameroon. The Borno and Dikwa emirates were during their initial years known as ''British Borno'' and ''German Borno'', respectively. The German authorities confirmed Sanda Mandarama as ''shehu''. Sanda Mandarama briefly fled to British Borno in 1905, whereafter the Germans replaced him with his brother Ibrahim I, though Sanda Mandarama returned a year later and was restored to the throne.

In 1916, during World War I, Cameroon (including Dikwa) was taken over by the British and British Cameroon became a mandate under the United Nations in 1922. In 1917, Sanda Mandarama was succeeded by his nephew Sanda Kyarimi. Kyarimi dropped the title of "''shehu'' of German Borno" in favor of "''shehu'' of Dikwa", since both Borno and Dikwa were now under British colonial control. In 1937, Kyarimi succeeded Sanda Kura as the ''shehu'' of Borno. Kyarimi's appointment in Borno ended the line of ''shehu''s of Dikwa and for the first time since colonisation there was only one ''shehu''.

After Kyarimi moved to Borno, the Dikwa Emirate was left as a distinct traditional state under his brother, Masta II, though Masta and his successors were strictly referred to only as ''emir''s or ''mai''s, not ''shehu''s. The seat of the Dikwa Emirate was moved to Bama in 1942 at the request of the British colonial administration.

In 2009, it was decided that the emirate was to be divided in two: the larger ''Dikwa Emirate'' was to retain three Local Government Areas (Dikwa, Ngala, and Kala-Balge) and a new (smaller) '' Bama Emirate'' was to be created to include the former fourth LGA (Bama). In 2010, Abba Masta II was appointed as ''shehu'' of Dikwa, the first ruler of Dikwa to be styled ''shehu'' since 1937. The then incumbent ''emir'' of Dikwa, Kyari, continued as the ruler of Bama Emirate, initially intended to continue to be styled as ''emir'' but ultimately also recognised as a ''shehu''. Due to the Boko Haram insurgency, Abba Masta II spent much of his tenure as ''shehu'' in exile and died at Maiduguri in 2021. Abba Masta II's brother Ibrahim II was appointed as his successor in January 2021 but could not be formally invested while in exile. Following successes in increasing the safety in the region around Dikwa, Ibrahim was formally crowned and invested as ''shehu'' in Dikwa on 8 February 2025.

Rulers

Although Dikwa did not yet exist as an emirate distinct from Borno, the rulers of Dikwa are enumerated from 1900 onwards, with Sanda Kura and Abubakar Garbai of Borno also being considered the 1st and 2nd ''shehu'' of Dikwa, respectively. The same individual is counted twice in the enumeration if restored to the throne after having been deposed; Sanda Kiyarimi, technically the third person to hold the office of ''shehu'' of Dikwa, is for these reasons for instance counted as the 6th ''shehu''.

Notes

References

{{Nigerian traditional states

Borno State
Nigerian traditional states
Emirates