Abdullahi Bayero dan Muhammad Abbas (1881–1953) was Sarki (Emir) of Kano, with headquarters in Kano, Kano State, Nigeria from 1926 to 1953.[1] As a traditional ruler he had extensive powers under the British colonial authority.
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Bayero was born in 1299 AH (1881). He had his early Islamic education at the Sarki’s palace and he was guided by the prominent Islamic Scholars of his time. While he was the Chiroma of Kano and District Head of Bichi he became very closely associated with the prominent Ulama of his time.
When the British colonial administrators decided to introduce the new district administrative structure Abdullahi Bayero who was then Chiroma was appointed the Head of the Home Districts with Headquarters at Dawakin Kudu and later Panisau in 1914. He was appointed Sarki Kano in April 1926 and was formally installed on 14 February 1927 (Fika 1978: 227). He was the most experienced contender for the Emirship he had also proved to everyone that he was honest, efficient, dedicated and upright.
Sarki Kano Abdullahi Bayero made several appointments during his long reign. Among those he appointed were his sons Muhammad Sanusi whom he appointed Ciroma and District Head of Bichi the position he held before his appointment as the Sarki and Aminu who was appointed Dan Iya and District Head of Dawakin Kudu. After the deposition of Muhammad son of Sarki Kano Shehu Usman from Turaki and District Head of Ungogo he appointed his brothers Abdulkadir and Muhammad Inuwa as Galadima and Turaki respectively in 1927. He reduced the influence of the Cucanawa and also freed all other royal slaves, which was in line with the British anti slavery policy. He also delegated some of his executive responsibilities to his councilors (Fika 1978: 226).
Sarki Kano Abdullahi Bayero showed keen interest on Islamic Education and he contributed morally and materially towards its development as a result of this Kano had many prominent Islamic Scholars during his reign. Some of these scholars include Shehu Muhammad Salga and his students Abubakar Mijinyawa and Umar Falke. He established the Shahuchi Judicial School in 1348 AH (1929), the first of its kind in Nigeria with Shaikh Sulaiman, his long term colleague, who initiated the idea as its first headmaster. The Kano Law School which later became the School for Arabic Studies grew from the Shahuchi Judicial School through the efforts of Waziri Gidado (Yahya 1986) who was then the Chief Islamic and Legal Adviser of the Sarki. He was also encouraged to show respect to the Shariffs by Shaikh Sulaiman (Paden 1973) his initiator into the Tijaniyya (a mystic brotherhood founded by Shaikh Ahmad Tijani of Algeria).
Sarki Kano Abdullahi Bayero was the first Sarki to perform the Hajj hence he is popularly known as Sarki Alhaji. He was accompanied in this journey by his younger brother Galadima Abdulkadir and Ma’aji Mallam Sulaiman who later became the first Walin Kano. It was during this Hajj trip that they first met Shaikh Ibrahim Niass of Senegal and they accepted him as their Shaykh. After the Hajj, Sarki Abdullahi visited Egypt where he saw many magnificent mosques. When he returned he began the building of the new Kano mosque, the first of its kind in northern Nigeria and it is still one of the most beautiful mosques in the area.
Sarki Kano Bayero was committed to the commercial and industrial development of Kano thus he encouraged genuine industrial undertakings for example the Gwamaja Textile Mills, which was the first modern textile in Nigeria. He also encouraged indigenous individual entrepreneurs such as the highly successful Alhaji Alhassan Dantata. The social service sector was accorded the necessary attention by his Emirate Council.
Towards the end of his reign NEPU was formed by the following Kano politicians: Abba Maikwaru, Bello Ijumu, Babaliya Manaja, Musa Kaula, Abdulkadir Danjaji, Musa Bida, Magaji Dambatta and Mudi Spikin (Abba 2000: ix). It was a radical political party that questioned the colonial rule and the traditional establishment. But Sarkin Kano Abdullahi Bayero was very cautious. When the NEPU stalwarts were brought to his court for alleged sedition and the palace officials including Ulamaadvised the Emir that they were not Muslims and that they deserved death. He refused to accept the advice and stated that we must have done something wrong for this young men to challenge us.
Sarki Kano Alhaji Abdullahi Bayero never compromised his Islamic convictions despite his progressive ideas (Yahya 1986). He will be remembered in the history of Kano as a sincere, honest, pious and patient Sarki. He was a man of great simplicity who used to sew his clothes and was very caring for his junior staff a good example was the case of Inuwa Wali in which the Sarki directed one of the ward heads against the wish of the courtiers to ensure that he was given a house and he was eventually given a house at Mandawari quarters where he lived for more than fifty years. He died on Thursday 13th Rabi al-Thani 1373 (23 December 1953).