The Role of Traditional Rulers in Conflict Prevention and Mediation in Nigeria Roger Blench Selbut Longtau Umar Hassan Martin Walsh Prepared for DFID, Nigeria Thursday, 09 November 2006 The Role of Traditional Rulers in Conflict Prevention and Mediation in Nigeria: Final Report TABLE OF CONTENTS BOXES ............................................................................................................................................................iii PHOTOS ......................................................................................................................................................... iv ACRONYMS ................................................................................................................................................... v PREAMBLE ..................................................................................................................................................... i The Role of Traditional Rulers in Conflict Prevention and Mediation....................................................... i Scope of Work .................................................................................................................................................. i EXECUTIVE SUMMARY............................................................................................................................iii 1. Introduction: background to the study ..................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Background ............................................................................................................................................. 1 1.2 Review of existing literature ................................................................................................................... 3 1.3 Power, religion, ethnicity ........................................................................................................................ 7 1.4 Conflict resolution and the donors .......................................................................................................... 9 2. Methods...................................................................................................................................................... 10 2.1 Literature Review.................................................................................................................................. 10 2.2 Interviews.............................................................................................................................................. 10 3. Historical development of Emirate/traditional councils........................................................................ 11 3.1 Historical background to the Northern emirates ................................................................................... 11 3.2 Post-Independence ................................................................................................................................ 13 3.3 Traditional leaders and reform in the post-colonial era ........................................................................ 15 3.4 Recent changes to the system................................................................................................................ 16 3.5 The nature of authority in Islamic conceptions..................................................................................... 17 3.6 Islamic rulers and the brotherhoods ...................................................................................................... 18 4. Overview of traditional leadership institutions in north-central Nigeria ............................................ 19 4.1 Introduction........................................................................................................................................... 19 4.2 Hausa/Fulɓe........................................................................................................................................... 23 4.2.1 Introduction.................................................................................................................................... 23 4.2.2 The Sokoto Sultanate ..................................................................................................................... 25 4.2.3 Argungu and Gwandu Emirates, Kebbi state ................................................................................. 26 4.2.3.1 Gwandu Emirate ....................................................................................................................... 27 4.2.3.2 Argungu [Kebbi] Emirate ......................................................................................................... 27 4.2.4 Zazzau (Zaria) Emirate, Kaduna state............................................................................................ 28 4.2.5 Kano Emirate, Kano state............................................................................................................... 33 4.2.6 Gusau Emirate, Zamfara State ....................................................................................................... 34 4.2.7 Hadejia Emirate, Jigawa state ........................................................................................................ 35 4.2.8 Katsina Emirate, Katsina state ....................................................................................................... 37 4.2.8 Bauchi Emirate, Bauchi state ......................................................................................................... 38 4.2.10 Gombe Emirate, Gombe state ...................................................................................................... 38 4.2.11 Muri Emirate, Taraba state........................................................................................................... 39 4.2.12 Adamawa Emirate, Adamawa state ............................................................................................. 40 4.2.13 Mubi Emirate, Adamawa state..................................................................................................... 41 4.3 Kanuri.................................................................................................................................................... 42 4.3.1 Borno State..................................................................................................................................... 42 4.3.2 Yobe State ...................................................................................................................................... 44 4.4 The Middle Belt Emirates ..................................................................................................................... 45 4.4.1 Kontagora and Busa Emirates, Niger state..................................................................................... 45 4.4.2 Bida Emirate in Niger State ........................................................................................................... 46 4.4.3 Federal Capital Territory Emirate, Abuja....................................................................................... 47 4.4.4 Ilorin Emirate, Kwara state ............................................................................................................ 48 4.5 Pastoral peoples..................................................................................................................................... 49 4.5.1 Overview........................................................................................................................................ 49 4.5.2 Fulɓe............................................................................................................................................... 50 i The Role of Traditional Rulers in Conflict Prevention and Mediation in Nigeria: Final Report 5. Evolution of the chieftaincy system in the Middle Belt.......................................................................... 52 5.1 Overview............................................................................................................................................... 52 5.2 Middle Belt Chiefdoms ......................................................................................................................... 54 5.2.1 The Jukun kingdom of Taraba state ............................................................................................... 54 5.2.2 Igala chiefdom, Kogi state ............................................................................................................. 56 5.2.3 Tangale Maidom, Gombe state ...................................................................................................... 57 5.2.4 Berom Chiefdom, Plateau state...................................................................................................... 59 5.2.5 Chiefdoms of Southern Kaduna ..................................................................................................... 66 5.2.6 Chiefdoms of Akun and Migili, Nasarawa state ............................................................................ 68 6. How are traditional leaders funded?....................................................................................................... 69 6.1 Official systems..................................................................................................................................... 69 6.2 Other sources of income.......................................................................................................................