Exclusive Report: Borno And It’s People

By Ibrahim Mustapha

24th January 2023

Borno, a land of peace, her illustrious sons and daughters a pride to Nigeria and beyond.

Borno, without borders when we talk of brilliance…

In Nigeria, nay Africa. Borno matters where men of heart and means are mentioned.

Borno, a land of Gold, her name cannot be soiled as we march to defeat the heinous Boko Haram that spilled so much blood in our land of Blessing and enduring bliss and peace.

Borno is the heart of Kanem-Borno Empire, the Great. Borno is the centre of Kanem-Borno Empire that lasted for a complete millennium. Borno is the fountain that gushes empirical power of the Kanem-Borno that lasted 1,000 years

Borno is the home of the Kanem-Borno Empire, the longest empire in Africa

Nigeria in Borno, Borno in Nigeria

Pic: An old painting depicting a Kanem-Borno Empire knight

History of Nigerian will be incomplete without mentioning Borno, whether as the nucleus of the Great Kanem-Borno Empire or as federating state. For one thousand years the Kanem-Borno Empire wielded power over a vast prosperous and peaceful empire that stretched from present-day northeast of Nigeria (to the south) to Libya in North Africa (to the north); from some parts of present-day Niger Republic (to the west) to some parts of present-day Cameroon (to the east).

Despite its immense valour, vast territory, rich cultural heritages, vast population, wealth of Islamic knowledge, huge markets and profound love for peace, Borno, the home of peace, peacocks and peanuts has been challenged by Boko Haram insurgents since 2009.

Just like Kanem-Borno Empire’s resilience in the early 19th century led to the defeat of Rabeh bin Fadlallah, the villain who rebelled against the established order of the empire, so shall the resilience and peace-loving demeanour of Borno and people of Borno lead to the complete defeat and humiliation of Boko Haram and its ramifications (including ISWAP); and by the grace of Almighty Allah, peace and harmony shall be restored in the land.

Pic: Palace of the Shehu of Borno in Maiduguri, Northeast of Nigeria

No matter what, Borno, the home of ‘firsts’, peace and knowledge shall rise again! Insha-Allah. Despite all its challenges, Borno shall be back on its feet again. By the grace of Almighty Allah. Despite ups and downs, Borno has made history and history has made Borno – and Borno will continue to write its name in gold in the history of Nigeria.

Over the years, Borno has produced notable sons and daughters of the land that inscribed their names in marble of greatness and that of Borno in gold. Borno has not only produced great men and women that contribute immensely toward the socio-economic and political development as well as protected the territorial integrity of Nigeria but also produced great men and women who made history as the ‘firsts’ in many fields of human endeavour both in colonial and Independent Nigeria – hence, Borno is the home of ‘firsts’.

Let me give you a nice ‘ride’ in the elegant ‘SUV’ of Borno along the picturesque avenue of Borno’s ‘Firsts’. Who are Borno’s Firsts? Borno’s Firsts are citizens of Borno who became ‘the first’ in many fields of human eandeavour in the history of the state and that of Nigeria since colonial days till independent Nigeria. Some of them are enumerated below.

Did you know that…?

1.      The FIRST Nigerian to be promoted to the rank of CAPTAIN in the British Army, in 1953, after making a gallant performance in the First and Second (WW I and II) was Captain Kyari Magumeri, a son of Borno;

2.      The FIRST Regimental Sergeant Major (RSM) of the Nigerian Defence Academy (in 1964) was Major Bulama Biu, also a son of Borno;

3.      The FIRST Governor of Northern region (then was 19 states from 1962 to 66) was late Sir Kashim Ibrahim (the Sir Kashim House, which is the Kaduna State Government House was named in his Memory), also a son of Borno;

4.      The FIRST Inspector General of Police from Northern Nigeria, and the only IGP in Nigeria that served for a long period of up to 9 years (1966-1975) was the Late IGP Kam-Selem, a son of Borno;

5.      The FIRST Minister of Petroleum in Nigeria (in 1972) was the Late Shettima Ali Monguno, PhD, a son of Borno;

6.      The FIRST Minister of a civilian government in Nigeria to sign and hand over power to the military (after the coup of 1966) was the Late Hon. Zanna Bukar Dipcharima. He was Nigeria’s FIRST Minister of Works (in 1957) and deputised Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, the Prime Minister, also a son of Borno;

7.      The FIRST Nigerian appointed as General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the Nigerian Army’s Fist Division (in 1967) was the Late General Mamman Shuwa, also a son of Borno;

8.      The FIRST African to be trained at Sandhurst Military Academy and the First Regular Combatant in the Nigerian Army was Brigadier General Zakaria Maimalari, also a son of Borno;

9.      The FIRST Black African to broadcast on the BBC in London was Ambassador Abba Zoru, also a son of Borno;

10.  The FIRST woman novelist from Northern Nigeria is Professor Zainab Alkali, a daughter of Borno;

11.  The FIRST Professor Emeritus of Medicine from Northern Nigeria is Professor Umaru Shehu, also a son of Borno. In addition, he is the first Head of Department (HOD) of the Department of Community Medicine at Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria. He is a former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN). He is a former Sole Administrator of the University of Maiduguri (UniMaid). He is a former Pro-Chancellor and Chairman Governing Council of Bayero University, Kano (BUK) and University of Lagos (UniLag). Furthermore, he is a Professor Emeritus in Community Health at University of Maiduguri, a former President of the Nigerian Academy of Science and a former President of Medical Schools in Africa.

Pic: Captain Kyari Magumeri (right) standing with a British Army Officer. Without any equivocation, you now know that those Borno ‘Firsts’ are also Nigeria’s ‘firsts’ as well. Borno is proud of them and they are proud of Borno; Nigeria is proud of them and they are proud of Nigeria. No shaking.

With these great men and a woman adorning the golden page of Borno’s historical annals, we can confidently say that a book is not judged by its cover nor is the downfall of a man the end of his life.

Therefore, we should never judge a book by its cover; we should never judge a tree by a rotten fruit; we should never judge a hen by a bad egg; and we should never judge a state by the misdeeds of its outlaws.

Certainly, every book has a cover but it is the substance in the book that matters; every tree may yield rotten fruit but certainly not all the fruit go bad at once; every hen may lay bad eggs but majority of the eggs hatch live chicks; and every state could have outlaws but certainly that doesn’t make the state outlawed. By this we mean that Boko Haram and ISWAP and their ramifications are outlawed by Nigerian laws and they don’t determine the identity of the law-abiding citizens of Borno and other states affected by the protracted insurgency of the outlaws.

Therefore, since it is said that the downfall of a man is never the end of his life, the home of peace, firsts and knowledge – Borno – shall rise again! By the special grace of Allah.