Many people in Nigeria, especially those living in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory and environs, and perhaps beyond, are familiar with a minority tribe popularly referred to as Gwari. But is this tribe, which accommodates the nation’s seat of power properly addressed? People from this tribe have pushed for that their proper identification to known?? not Gwari as erroneously believed.
According to Mr. Samuel Danjuma, the proper identification for this tribe, who are predominantly farmers, is Gbagyi. He added that Gwari, a word in their language, means yam, hence it is absurd to refer to them as such. It is worthy to note that the Gbagyi tribe is found in several parts of northern Nigeria.
On the activities of Gbagyi people before the coming of the white man and other settlers, especially those in Minna, Niger State, Danjuma said: “The Gbagyi people are predominantly farmers and hunters. Even when they were on top of the mountain, they were farming.
“While on the mountain, about eight kings were crowned; which means that they lived as an organised people, even on the mountain. And when they came down, about four rulers were crowned. Interestingly, the Gbagyi people from Minna came down from the mountain when westernisation came, which attracted a rail track. Our people thus agreed to come down to the plain instead of remaining on the mountain.
“Those who were crowned as kings on the mountain included Esu Sugbaknum, Esu Galadima, Boshni, Esu Kpotun Musa, Esu Dawoba, and Esu Makun Shako. While they were on the mountain, there was only one royal family, but when they came down, the ruling house became two.”
He further explained that their forefathers however stayed on the mountain for a long time, apparently to avoid being raided by enemies, saying that it was easier to raid people on the plain than the mountain top.
Danjuma continued, “If enemies were coming, there were soldiers stationed at points of defence; and any group of invaders that tried to climb the mountain to attack the people was rebuffed with stones hauled at them. Also, there was the presence of gold deposits; that was how the town opened. Today, we have those who migrated during the gold rush, as well as people who were attracted by the railway.’’
However, internal squabble erupted among Gbagyi village heads of those in Minna and its environs. Mallam Aliyu Musayi said indigenes had agreed to have one paramount ruler who would be generally accepted. “Our forefathers were here, and gradually, the town started developing, so we chose the late Ahmadu Bahago from Lau Bosso.
District officers said they wanted Minna Lau to have a paramount head, and as such, Bahago was asked to become king. Every indigene of Gbagyi in Minna agreed because anything to the contrary would have meant selling the Gbagyi out of Minna.
He spoke further: “We respect our king because kinship comes from God. We follow the person chosen by God to be our leader.? And since God has made him the head, he has not offended us. We will not abandon him and he will not abandon us.
“Since the Gbagyi people descended from Saunin Minna, we have not had any problem. From Paiko, Bosso or Galadinma Kogo, none has fomented any trouble. Is this not peaceful co-existence? If there is anything that would cause trouble in Minna, we won’t be part of it.
“The Gbagyi people, as you probably know, are mainly agrarian farmers, and whenever development approaches, because they are mainly farmers, they try to move to areas that are less-urbanised.
“This is done so that they would always have enough land to carry out their farming activities. And this has affected the history of the Gbagyi people, their economy and political ventures. Gbagyi land extends as far as the northern part of Zaria. Now, if you go to Kaduna, you would see that the impact of the Gbagyi people is very minimal, but everybody who was in Kaduna in the 60s knows that it was a Gbagyi land.
“With the infiltration of people who came to trade and do other things, especially when Kaduna became the capital of northern Nigeria, the people started moving out in order to maintain their farming activities.’’
On the mountain where the Gbagyi people lived, the stone which served as the king’s throne in his compound is still there. The market, as well as water pond used in making poisoned arrows and so on are still on the said mountain. There was also a burial ground for the royal families. Inside the king’s compound was a Kuka tree with a hole inside it; it was about six feet deep.
Corroborating the story of the Mai Ungwar Tayi, the head of Tayi area of Minna, Mallam Aliyu Doma Musayi added that with the coming of the railway and consequent migration of people to the area in search of better livelihood, the Gbagyi owners of Minna moved away in search of farmlands.
As a result of this they were gradually being sidelined in their own land. The situation was not helped by the internal squabble among the Gbagyi village heads of Minna and its environs.
Upon Ahmadu Bahago’s death, owing to the fact that he was a good ruler who held on to Islam, his son, Farouk Bahago, succeeded him. “And since he became king, he has been good to us. He ascended the throne as the rightful heir with all the paraphernalia of office. It was not taken from anybody. So whatever is happening in Minna today is to the glory Allah,” he concluded.?????????????