Umaru Nagwamatse was born in 1806. He was the 10th son of
Abu Bakr Atiku, the second
Caliph of Sokoto (r. 1837–1842) and a son of
Usman dan Fodio.
As a murabitun While still a young man, Nagwamatse was appointed as the administrator of the
ribat (garrison town) of Gwamatse, a settlement in the
Rima Valley, about a day's march from the city of
Sokoto. However, during the reign of Caliph
Aliyu Babba (r. 1842–1859), he was deposed for 'overreaching himself' and recalled to Sokoto. His early association with the ribat earned him the nickname 'Umaru na Gwamatse' ('Umaru of Gwamatse').
Emir of Kontagora The territory Nagwamatse now set his sights on was vast—at least ten thousand square miles—and inhabited by many pagan tribes. The dense forests and the prevalence of
tsetse flies allowed these peoples to fiercely resist subjugation by the more powerful surrounding states, particularly the Sokoto Caliphate, which relied heavily on cavalry warfare. However, this did not deter Nagwamatse and his army of mercenaries, who were hoping for booty and slaves. In 1863, the Gbagyi rose against Nagwamatse but were subdued after a year of fighting. Having secured his position in the east, Nagwamatse turned his attention to the west, which was under the
Yauri Emirate, a vassal state of the Gwandu Emirate. Since 1844, Yauri had been embroiled in a violent dynastic conflict. The current Emir, Yakuba, had ruled the Emirate since the death of his father, Jibrilu Gajere, who had seized the throne by killing the previous Emir, Abubakar Jatau. Yakuba was an unpopular ruler, and most of his subjects favored his cousin Suleimanu, continuing the civil strife. However, in 1866, Ahmadu Zaruku died, and the Kebbi war ended the following year. This allowed the Emir to issue a stern warning to Nagwamatse, cautioning him against further encroachment into his territory. Unfortunately, the warning came too late, and the Emir had to concede that eastern Yauri had been lost to Nagwamatse. == Legacy ==