Once there lived a braved man, a hero and a great legend in a hilly town of Yabo on Latitude: 12° 46' 13" N. Longitude: 5° 06' 00" E in the North Western part of Nigeria. His name is Muhammadu Moyijo, the founder of Yabo kingdom.
The first to received a flag from Shehu Usman Danfodiyo symbolizing his permission and blessing to commence Jihad activities in their localities was Muhammadu Moyijo, a Fulani scholar from the Wolarbe clan.
Muhammadu Moyijo was born in Shema where he grew up and received his early education from his father so also his brothers that actively participated with him in the Jihad. Muhammadu Moyijo was one of the chieftains of Kabi kingdom with the title of Magajin Sangaldi based at Gotomo. Before the commencement of the Jihad, Moyijo was an ardent admirer and supporter of Shehu Usman Danfodiyo having met the letter during his sojourn in Kabi on his itinerant teaching and preaching tours in the 1780's. From then on, Moyijo developed a bond of friendship with the Shehu Danfodiyo.
While under the suzerainty of Kabi, Moyijo was responsible for the Fulani residing in the kingdom, but soon a strained relationship was developed with the authorities in Birnin Kabi, the capital of Kabi kingdom. This relationship was said to have been occasioned by some constitutional issues, which saw to the emergence of Muhammadu Hodi as the new Sarkin Kabi. The strained relationship forced Muhammadu Moyijo to abandoned his base at Gotomo to a mere secured area. The choice was undoubtedly Yabo, a town established by the Wolarbe but which was later abandoned due to incessant skirmishes with their Sensible cousins.
While the relationship between Moyijo and the Kabi authorities was going from bad to worst, in the neighboring Gobir the relationship between the Gobir authorities and Shehu Danfodiyo was heading to a crisis. The Gobir authorities under Sarkin Gobir Yunfa had unleashed a reign terror against Shehu Danfodiyo and his sopporters; attacking shehu's supporters at Gimbana killing and enslaving some of them. Shehu Danfodiyo had to effect a Hijra(migration) to Gudu town in 1804. With the Shehu's Hijra, the Gobir authorities stepped up military expeditions against him. The Shehu was appointed Amir Al-Muminin by his supporters and Jihad was declared.
With this development, Muhammadu Moyijo who had already renounced his allegiance to the authorities of Birnin Kabi visited Gudu together with his brothers Ajiwa, Yamusa, Abubakar Ruwa and Dudu and paid his allegiance to Shehu Usman Danfodiyo and pledged hus support for the Jihad cause.
The strength and mobilization of Moyijo to the call by Shehu for Jihad was very elaborated. He went to pay homage and declared his loyalty to Shehu with more than one hundred horses and hundred of cavalry. This raised fear among some members of the Shehu's clan after Moyijo left, they went and expressed their reservation to the Shehu on whether the loyalty of Moyijo could be trusted in view of his strength and resources. Shehu decided to test the loyalty of Moyijo in order to ally their fear. He sent a messenger to call Moyijo back, but the message should be delivered to him after he reached the fringes of Yabo town.
The message was delivered when Moyijo was about to enter Yabo town. They immediately directed that they should go home and rest for some days considering the journey from Gudu to Yabo, but Moyijo said no. Moyijo with three of his brothers namely Abubakar Ruwa, Yamusa and Dudu returned to answer the call of Shehu. On reaching Gudu, Shehu praised them, thank them, prayed for them and issued the first flag of the Jihad to Muhammadu Moyijo and confer on him the title of Sarkin Kabi. Moyijo was the first recipient of the flag to carry on with Jihad. All other flags bearers were given after Moyijo of Yabo kingdom. Moyijo was blessed with a flag permitted to start Jihad activities against Kabi. When Moyijo returned to Yabo, he secured his new base at Yabo by conquering surrounding towns and villages before launching a major military campaign against the eastern part of Kabi kingdom. During this campaign, Moyijo conquered the following towns and their satellite villages; Fakka, Birnin Asuma, Shimfri, Muza, Gudale, Dankal, Bayawa, Yakurutu and Dafashi. With this conquest, Moyijo established a strong base for the Jihad movement in the Yabo area.
After the battle of Tabkin Kwatto and with the food situation in Gudu so precariuos, it was to Muhammadu Moyijo that Shehu Danfodiyo sent for assistance. The whole community left for Magabci in the leeway of Yabo where they were hosted by Moyijo for about two months. It was in Magabci that Shehu Danfodiyo wrote to all the kings in Hausa land (sarakunan Hausa) urging them to support the Jihad. All but Sarkin Zazzau Isiyaku Jatau (Amir of Zaria) received the appeal. The whole of Hausa land was thereafter enveloped in the Jihad with flag bearers championing the Jihad in their areas.
Muhammadu Moyijo area of activities was in the Kabi kingdom. Having established his position in the Yabo area, He personally led several campaigns against the Kabi forces until finally a capital was established for Shehu Danfodiyo at Gwandu and Birnin Kabi, the capital of Kabi overruned in 1805. Muhammadu Bello recorded in his book Imfagal Maysur some of the major military campaigns commanded by Muhammadu Moyijo. These include the battle of Augi, the conquest of Yawuri, Bussa and Jantullu. He was also responsible for subduing Bena. This was in addition to his participation in other major military campaigns like the battle of Alwasa, the conquest of Alkalawa and much later after the death of Shehu Danfodiyo especially the battle of Kalambaina. Muhammadu Moyijo was listed among the flag bearers as well as military commanders of the Chaliphate under Shehu Usman Danfodiyo by Waziri Gidado in his book title Raud Jinan.
With the triumph of the Jihad forces. Muhammadu Moyijo was confirmed in his position in Yabo with the title of Sarkin Kabi similar to title bore by kings in Kabi kingdom (now kebbi state). He died in 1818 and was succeeded by his son Muhammadu Yalli. He and later his descendants have remain active in running the affairs of the caliphate by constituting the outer council of the Caliphal authority called upon during period of crisis or on the occasion of appointing a new caliph(new Sultan). Among the descendants of this great hero Muhammadu Mayijo, is the author of this article Usama Adamu Dandare.
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