In the various cases of kidnapped traditional rulers across southern and northern Nigeria, none has caused as much sorrow and heartache in the hearts of people as the case of the Sarkin Gobir of Gatawa, the late His Royal Highness Alhaji Muhammad Isa Bawa, because he faced his last days without urgent rescue.
The truth is, his issue wasn’t insurmountable but for the breakdown of authority in Nigeria. In the past, when power was in the hands of traditional rulers, a single royal guard could be sent into the forest to capture a notorious thief. We claimed that the rulers were incompetent and tyrannical. Local governments were created, and power was fully transferred to the common people and their offspring. It was said that every king was under the chairmanship of their local government and dared not challenge it, or else they would face the wrath of the governor.
Had we, the educated commoners, upheld our trust and taken governance seriously, the late Sarkin Gobir would not have spent even a week in the hands of these terrorists. His local government would have either paid the ransom demanded or, if not, sent its forces to rescue him. But instead, governors, all the children of commoners, rendered local governments powerless, leaving His Majesty’s local government without even a penny to assist him, let alone send troops. Thus, all eyes turned to the Sokoto State Government.
Even at the state level, nothing changed. It was expected that forces would be sent into the forest—hunters, vigilantes, police, and soldiers—within the three weeks that His Majesty was held captive to rescue him. If that couldn’t be done, at least the 60 million naira ransom demanded should have been raised immediately and handed over without delay. But instead, negotiations dragged on until time ran out, and the King was shot.
Then there’s the Federal Government, which monopolized security affairs. We’re all the same. It’s all the same old story. We are the soldiers. We are the police. We are the security agents. From our generals to our corporals, we’ve embarrassed ourselves in public. There are brigades in Sokoto, Gusau, and Katsina. There are even troops in neighboring Niger, close to Sabon Birni. There are soldiers in the forest to combat terrorists. But where were they? Just as we’ve ruined every aspect of government work, we’ve also ruined security matters—everything has collapsed. All we excel at is theft, like vultures. If it were a trailer full of public funds, our people would know exactly how to steal it, making it disappear without a trace. But when it comes to actual work, no matter how small, we can’t do it unless we feel like it, whether through laziness or corruption. Disgraceful.
Finally, the local people, including his relatives and the rest of the community, especially those who were loyal to the King. It turned out that they were all just a bunch of empty words. No one had a penny. Even those who had money among the wealthy, politicians, and government officials in his domain lacked the heart to give. Everyone kept to themselves. The King received no support. Thus, all eyes turned to the State Government, which did what it could with the situation.
In the end, the King died with disappointment on all fronts, days after the deadline given by the terrorists, despite pleading for help from everyone, but to no avail.
The death of the Sarkin Gobir should serve as a lesson for us to understand the depth of the decay in our governments and the extent of the betrayal by civil servants in every sector of government. As for the rulers and the rest of the people, they should realize that all the sycophants among the wealthy, officials, and those to whom they gave positions will not benefit them in any way if they find themselves in dire straits. It’s all just flattery. No one will give their blood or money to save them. So what about the rest of the populace? Apart from empty rhetoric in the media and mosques, there is nothing we can do. Our hearts are dead, numb.
The death of this servant of Allah should make us rethink our ways. Anyone holding a government position must stand firm against their own desires, protect the rights of the people, or resign from the job. This is true bravery. As for the general public, this death should motivate us to revive the courage in our hearts, not just boast about our ancestors who sacrificed themselves. We too must always be ready to give our wealth and lives to protect our lives and honor.
May Allah have mercy on Sarkin Gobir. May Allah illuminate his grave. May Allah forgive him. May Allah place him in paradise with the rest of the martyrs.
