Paul Orude, Bauchi
Bauchi Emirate, founded in the 19th Century by Yakubu dan Dadi, a warrior and son of a local ruler, is known for many attractive and fascinating relics. Some of such are the nine hills or Dutse used to shield the town from invaders.
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The ancient hills served as strategic location used by agents of the emirate to monitor strangers’ movement into the town. The hills are Takkan, Tanshi, Warinje, Mahaukata, Gayya, Bauchi, Dumi, Iya and Kobi.
They are still visible in the city today.
Wakilin Tahiri and the chief historian of the emirate, Alhaji Ado Dan Rimi, said the hills were situated near the nine gates of the city:
“The city was surrounded by a well-fortified wall built by the founder. In 1807, Yakubu, who was educated at Sokoto under Sheik Usman dan Fodio, and had captured most of the areas during the Jihad, was invited to Sokoto.
“During his meeting with the Sheik, he sought advice on where to locate his town. He heeded the advice of the Sheik to settle at Warinje hill. Although the Warinje hill area was full of snakes, the Sheik prayed for Yakubu and assured him that the reptiles would not harm his people.”
Rimi explained that the Sheik also told Yakubu that though the soil of the Warinje area was hard, the people would have bountiful harvest when they cultivate the land:
“He also told Yakubu that at Warinje, Islam would thrive. The warrior returned to Warinje and started building his empire from 1809 to 1812.
He first built a mosque, a prison yard, his own house and houses of his family.
“He built a gigantic wall round the town, initially constructing four gates or entrance known as Kofar. The gates were later increased to nine as the city expanded.
“Close to each of the nine gates was a hill. Close to Kofar Nassarawa is the Tekkan Hill located behind Galadima house. The Tanshi Hill located near Kofar Jahun. There are three hills between Kofar Dumi and Kofar Wase. These hills are called Mahaukata, Gayya and Iya. The Bauchi and Dumi hills are located near the Kofar Inkil. The Dutse Warinje is located close to the Kofar Tirwun and Kofar Wambai while Kobi hill is located not too far from the popular Wunti Kofar.”
It was a tough task locating the nine hills in the now bustling city.
The first point of call by this reporter was the Tekkan Hill. It is a stone throw from the old residence of the Galadima of Bauchi.
A two-storey building rests on a large portion of the hill while other houses were built at its foot. It has become a fascinating playground for children by sliding from the top to bottom using torn cartons.
These children and some of the adults in this neighborhood may be oblivious of the purpose Tekkan Hill once served. From top of the hill, residents can sight a significant portion of Nasarawa, Jahun, Tanshi and other quarters of the city.
Sulieman Shuibu, a resident, recalled that Kobi Hill was home to domestic animals left behind by Easterners who fled Bauchi during the civil war: “They left their goats behind and most of them were seen roaming the hills for foods. Most of them have either died or got missing.”
At the foot of Kobi are residential houses. A school attended by the late Aminu Kano, the proponent of politics of Talakawas, is one of the main features of the hill. On the top most hill is a water reservoir.
Residents said the reservoir no longer functions. Some teenage boys were seen roaming on top of the hill.
“There is a belief that the hill has evil spirits,” said Shuaibu.
“When people fall sick, they will say he is being attacked by the spirits from the Kobi Hill”
The Warinje Hill is located outside the Kofar Wambai. The emirate used to station foot soldiers on its peak to monitor movement of strangers going through the Wambai gate. After over 200 years now, the hill is surrounded by thousands of houses. On top of hill lie the masts of two television stations.
Rabiu Musa works as a security guard for a private security outfit: “I climb the hill everyday to go to work. My job is to guard the mast from being destroyed.” He said he would not dismiss the beliefs that some spirits can be seen on the mountain at the dead of the night. On whether he has encountered any, he preferred to make no comment about it.
Abdullahi Umar, who knows about the history of the hill since the time of Yakubun Bauchi, told Daily Sun that the Warinje Hill serves many useful purposes: “My father built his house at the foot of the hill and the hill has protected us from windstorm.
“Our animals also love climbing the hills to look for food. They usually sleep there and return home the following morning.
“But last year, a boulder rolled down from the hill and hit our house.
It destroyed our roof and injured my father. Apart from that incident, I really enjoyed living at the foot of Warinje Hill”
On one portion of the hill is a large water reservoir, which augments water supply from the state water board to the environs. The area has a well-fenced structure to protect the reservoirs.
At the Iya Hill, the 12th Iyan Bauchi, Alhaji Muhammadu Musa, lamented that social change has reversed the purpose and functions of their values, including the hills. He explained that the hills served no much useful purpose other than history. He recalled that his great grandfather’s told him that before a stranger entered Bauchi, his movement was monitored at the hills:
“Before you are accommodated, the village head will take you to the Mai Gunduma (district head) and the emir. Once you are cleared, you are well taken care of.
“But nowadays, things have gone bad. Strangers enter and no one bats an eyelid. People are being recruited into the army, police and other government establishments without knowing their true character all because the traditional institution has been relegated to the background.”
He said the area is suffering from water problem: “We have requested the government to construct a reservoir on the Iya Hill to ease the water problem. We want to use this medium to appeal to the state government to establish a water reservoir that will supply water to our people.
“We are suffering. From 5:00 am, people troop into my house to fetch water from my well. Most of the houses here don’t have well because of the hard soil. Government should help us.”
When you climb the Bauchi Hill, you will behold a good portion of the view of Bauchi town. It was one of the hills used for surveillance. A resident, Aliyu Muhammad said the hill is almost disappearing as residential structures are built on it almost on a daily basis.
The Tanshi Hill is another location used to deploy warriors on intelligence gathering. Nowadays, the hill is almost unnoticed by a visitor except for the location of some structures such as a police station at its foot.
The nine hills of Bauchi may no longer serve the purpose of surveillance as in the past owing to population explosion and the decline of the traditional authority. However, they serve to preserve the rich culture of the Bauchi Emirate.