Chief Musa Zekeri: The Departure of a Royal Father

It is with pain and sorrow that I lost a beloved paternal Uncle and respected Royal Father, His Royal Highness Ustaz Musa Zekeri (Musa Akpa Ugbedeojo). 

Even before I left Nigeria in 2014, he prayed for me and my dear wife, Hajia Hafsat. He put some sand in our respective hands and prayed for long live and prosperity.

I used to communicate with Madalla regularly on phone. Barely less than two weeks ago, in the presence of one of my brothers, Hon. Amodu Abuh, the former Councillor representing Ugwoda Ward and Majority Leader to Idah Local Government Council, I personally spoke and engaged a befitting royal greetings with Madalla on phone and he was relatively full of life. The late Madalla passionately prayed for me.

Based on previous discussions, he was very much aware of my projects at hand. It is about the Ochamalienwu (Squirrel Whining) Theory of Community Policing, premised on my empirical PhD thesis conducted at the University of Liverpool United Kingdom, which has become not only a phenomenon in Nigeria’s crime reduction and community safety activities but global peace. He said I was going to achieve those projects beyond imagination to the glory of Allah Almighty and humanity. He also prayed for my wife with rewardingly valuable advice.

However, I never knew that interaction was to be the last. If it were possible, I would have begged Allah Almighty to extend the days of Baba Akpa Ugbedeojo on earth. Inalillahi wa inna illahi rajun (we are from Allah and onto Him we shall all return). It is the reality we must face as human beings.

His Royal Highness Malam Musa Zekeri, until his demise was the Madalla Attah Igala (Shigaba) of Angwa Ategune-Etutobo Clan. 

I had the rare privilege of receiving evening oral tutorials from my biological father and paternal grandfather of blessed memory, regarding the historical origin of the clan of my birth, and confirmed by prominent clan members among whom have died and a range of documented literatures I obtained from various scholarly works of historians, anthropologists, sociologists including works of colonial masters in the British Library London etc.

The clan members are descendants of a Hausa Muslim cleric, war warrior and peace maker, Malam Abubakar Abdul-Rahman Awaina (popularly called then as Malam Abu Akono). Malam Abu Awaina and fellow progenitors of other Angwa Ayegba Clans migrated from Bebeji Kano to Idah in the year 1695 on invitation of the then Igala King Attah Ayegba Omidoko to offer spiritual help during historical Igala war of independence with Jukun.

Prior to Attah Ayegba ascension to the throne, Igala Kingdom was a vassal state to the Jukun Empire based at Wukari. However, after assumption of power, in deviance he refused to pay the annual tributes. This anti-establishment and suicidal attitudes attracted the anger of the Wukaris, which resulted to acrimony and launch of warfare against the Igala people.

The invite was based on the obvious inability of the Igala indigenous warfare strategy to withstand the dominant power of the Kwararafa Empire at that period. Through the advice of Ajuma Oti, a famous and wealthy women of Agaidoko Clan who was a trade merchant to Kano at that time, the Palace mobilised her through a Palace Chief Orata to go for the Bebeji (Kano) Hausa Warriors.

The Bebeji Muslim Hausas as a group prepared the asiri (charm) thrown into the Inachalo river in Idah. Malam Abu Akono, the Progenitor of the Angwa Ategune/Etutobo Clan was not only an Islamic scholar, but was also versed in knowledge of medicine. Malam Abu kept wild animals such as lions, tigers and pythons as pets, because he controls their behaviours. He was reputed to have provided solutions to the dreadful diseases pandemic (Oga Iye and Oga Akija) that heavily struck the Igalas, during the Igala/Jukun war.

This set of pandemic happened when the Jukun forces had drank water and eaten some fishes from the spiritually conditioned Inachalo River and were already dying in their numbers resulting from the associated epidemic and illnesses. While these diseases were believed to have been spiritually masterminded by the Jukun forces to wipe out Igala race in retaliation, the solution to the pandemic marked the final subjugation of the Jukuns forces.

After the final victory of the war, ‘Ma’dalla’ was the expression (in Hausa Language) by Malam Abu Awaina, so his Royal Stool was named. Malam Abu Abdulrahman Awaina (Malam Abu Akono) was the first title holder of Madalla Attah Igala Royal Stool in 1695. Malam Abu Akono was rewarded, in addition to Angwa Ategune land Idah, with large piece of fief land at Etutobo and environs (in Ugwolawo District of Ofu LGA) for astuteness and leading role at the war front.

The Angwa Royal Stools were institutionalised when Attah Ayegba prevailed on the Hausa Malams not to go back to Bebeji in Kano for fear of further attacks from the Kwararafa Empire in Wukari. Ogani displays and other cultural festivals followed as victory celebrations in Idah by the Bebeji Malams. The Igala were practicing African Traditional Religion. But, the Hausa Bebeji Muslims introduced the Muslim faith and spread the religion of Islam in the Kingdom, and helped in Palace administrative reorganisation and provisions of valuable services such as clerks, and judges, and security in the Igala expansionist programmes into the 17th centuries and beyond.

Although, Igala Kingdom, just like many other Kingdoms and Empires, were taken over by the British Colonialists in 1900 and snowballing to Nigeria federation after political independence in 1960, the history of the Angwa Clans is as old as the history of Igala Kingdom political and economic independence.

While members of Angwa Clans have Hausa roots, they have been Igalanised through age-long cultural cross-fertilisations and inter marriages. Nevertheless, Angwa Clans have cultural exhibitions that are peculiar in nature through the ages.

I want to use this opportunity to draw attention of Igala Area Traditional Council and Kogi State Government to the to the need to grade Angwa Royal Stools accordingly. I don’t know how to define injustice in this context if traditional stools are politically created and graded same day but those stools with clear historical significance are left out.

His Royal Highness Chief Musa Zekeri (Akpa Musa Ugbedeojo), an islamic scholar and teacher, was a retired staff of Idah Local government Council. He had served in the Madalla Palace in Angwa Ategune during the reign of His Royal Highness Malam Audu Musa. He was also one of Advisers to the successor, His Royal Highness Malam Ochimana Salihu of blessed memory, the then Madalla Attah Igala, the predecessor to late Chief Musa Zekeri. The late Traditional Ruler came into the throne with enormous experience gained from predecessors. The leadership skills and sense of judgement of the late royal Highness will be missed tremendously. He advocated for peace, unity and development of his people.

In his tribute, Hon. Malam Yakubu Haruna Ugwolawo said that: ”The late Madalla Attah Igala of Angwa Ategune/Etutobo, His Royal Highness Chief Musa Zekeri was a unifier and peace maker. He was never tired of paying visits to his known relations wherever they live across Igala land in his youthful and early days of his life. Musa Ugbede – Òjò which he was fondly called denotes his belief and trust in God. He was never subjected to anger. Whatever he was subjected to, to him, was the will of God. And he lived within that tenets in his life time. May Allah forgive his shortcomings”.

The late Royal Father, no doubt, has left behind a wide vacuum difficult to fill. May Allah Subhana wata’Allah lead the way. His remains was buried amidst mammoth crowd at the ancestral headquarters of the clan, Angwa Ategune (behind NITEL Office), Idah, Kogi State according to Muslim rites.

I condole the Executive Governor of Kogi State Alhaji Yahaya Bello, and the Administrators of Idah and Ofu Local Government Councils for the lose of prominent Royal Father in their domain. I condole members and leadership of Igala Area Traditional Council of Kogi State.

In particular, my condolence is to His Royal Highness Chief Abubakar Aliyu the Akpochi of Angwa and His Royal Highness Chief Yunusa Omale the Ochalla of Angwa, all beaded Chiefs and entire Idah Muslim community over the demise of fellow Royal Father, His Royal Highness Chief Musa Zekeri the Madalla Attah Igala and Paramount Traditional Ruler of Angwa Ategune/Etut’obo.

My condolence is also to Malam Yahaya Idakwoji, Alhaji Baba Haruna, Major Salihu Idakwoji(Rtd), Professor Ikani Husseini, DSP Achuba Shaibu(rtd), Malam Adama Edili, Malam Ali Ikani, Malam Bello Usman, Hajia Mariam Ali, Hajia Mero Idris, Hon Amodu Abuh, Malam Yunusa Ebiloma, Alhaji Kwara, Mr Peter Ochimana, Alhaji Sule Haruna and Malam Amanabo Idris Alhassan. Others are Malam Yakubu Shaibu, Malam Ali Ochimana, Ustaz Ademu Alhassan, Alhaji Alhassan Haruna Soso,  Malam Abdul Inachalo, Alhaji Tijani Baba Haruna, Malam Yakubu Yusuf and Malam Yusuf Hussaini and others too numerous to mention.

Also worthy of mention are clan members from various communities such as Angwa Ategune, Etutobo, Ogenegwu Ikakwuewe, Ugwoda, Ugwolawo, Ajaka, Odolu, Oko-Ikeke, Iyegu, Ugbetulu, Ukpakele, Abocho, Iyale, Anyigba, Ankpa, Lokoja, Abuja, Achago, Ukpologo, Ofakaga and Dekina etc.

I solicit for kind prayers from well wishers in this trying times!

May Allah Subhana wata’Allah accept the departed soul of Baba Akpa Musa Ugbede-ojo Aljana firdous. May Allah grant his wife, children, great grand children and entire members of Angwa Ategune/Etutbo Clan world wide, the fortitude to bear the lose. Ameen.

– Dr. Aminu Musa Audu writes from Liverpool, United Kingdom.