Papers by Murtala Ahmed Rufai
Hausa women have been playing important role in economic development of Hausaland over the years.... more Hausa women have been playing important role in economic development of Hausaland over the years. There are some occupation and specific trade which are dominated by women. Scholars have studied the economic role of these women. There is consensus among these scholars that the Sokoto Jihad movement impacted positively on the economic life of women in the 19 th century. Women seclusion as preached and advocated by Nana Asma'u the daughter of Sheikh Usmanu Bin Fodiyo led to a change in economic status of women from open participation in the market square to what Hill called 'Hidden Trade'. What needs to be realized is that even at the apex of the Caliphate rule some old women could still be found in an open market conducting and co-coordinating different types of trade. The old women were allowed to appear in an open market by the virtue of their age. Most of the studies conducted on women's trade failed to acknowledge the existence of this class of women and their role in Hausa economy. Therefore, this paper attempts to study the role of this category of women in the operation of grains trade in the 19 th century. Murtala Ahmed Rufa'i is of the
“I AM A Bandit" (A Decade of research in Zamfara State bandits' den), 2021
“I AM A Bandit" (A Decade of research in Zamfara State bandits' den) These are s... more “I AM A Bandit" (A Decade of research in Zamfara State bandits' den) These are slides from a virtual lecture titled “I AM A Bandit" (A Decade of research in Zamfara State bandits' den) by Dr. Muritala A. Rufa'i (B.A, M.A, Ph.D). He's from Department of History, Faculty of Arts and Islamic Studies, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto. The lecture took place via Zoom on Thursday, 9th of September, 2021. Dr. M.A Rufa'i, a renowned security researcher, spent ten years on one on one interactions with bandits and commanders in their dens and hideouts.
Degel Journal, 2018
Zamfara state is the major hot spot of rural insecurity in North-Western Nigeria. It has until re... more Zamfara state is the major hot spot of rural insecurity in North-Western Nigeria. It has until recently, been at the top of most newspapers on the issue of cattle rustling and rural banditry. Unlike other states in the region, where the bandits operated with less sophistication, in Zamfara it is an organized crime that involved wide range of factors and actors. This made the whole gamut of the conflict more complex, leading to destruction of lives and properties, wanton rape and other related human right abuses. The sinister implication of this was the creation of large army of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and sizeable number widow and widower in an ever increasing rate of desperate and destitute orphans. The preoccupation of this paper is to show the role of the major actors responsible for promoting and instigating rural banditry in the state. The paper does not in any way intend to study the different facets of rural banditry. It is only concerned with how some actors whom the paper considered as ‘shadow ‘served as generators and facilitators of rural insecurity in Zamfara state.
Kabi-Dosso relations has always been peaceful and cordial for many centuries. Although there is d... more Kabi-Dosso relations has always been peaceful and cordial for many centuries. Although there is dialectical and linguistic differences but the two areas shared same historical and cultural experiences. Zarma or Zabarma refers to the language and People of Dosso region in the present Niger Republic. While Kabawa are referred to as the aboriginal inhabitants of Kabi kingdom who migrated from their former capitals; (Surami, Birnin Kabi) and later settled in Argungu and made it their capital in the 19 th century. The main language of this people is Hausa and their culture is common to most of the Hausa states. These two communities Kabawa and Zabarmawa always considered themselves as one and equal. This social and economic tie was further strengthened in the 19 th century when they shared common sentiment about the Sokoto Jihad movement. The Zabarma became closer to their Kabawa counterparts of Argungu in their struggle against the Sokoto Caliphate. Yakubu Nabame is often considered as the most celebrated 19 th century ruler of Kabi, who engaged the Jihadists for decades in war fronts. Nabame with the help of Zabarma succeeded in the unification of the Kabawa elements and refortification of Argungu town. The Zabarma people under the leadership Daudu Bugaran alias (Daudu Boryo) contributed significantly in forming and reforming of Argungu town in the 19 th and 20 th centuries. This paper studies the role of the Zabarma people of Dosso in the social and economic history of Argungu town in the 19 th and 20 th centuries.
Hausa women have been playing important role in economic development of Hausaland over the years.... more Hausa women have been playing important role in economic development of Hausaland over the years. There are some occupation and specific trade which are dominated by women. Scholars have studied the economic role of these women. There is consensus among these scholars that the Sokoto Jihad movement impacted positively on the economic life of women in the 19 th century. Women seclusion as preached and advocated by Nana Asma'u the daughter of Sheikh Usmanu Bin Fodiyo led to a change in economic status of women from open participation in the market square to what Hill called 'Hidden Trade'. What needs to be realized is that even at the apex of the Caliphate rule some old women could still be found in an open market conducting and co-coordinating different types of trade. The old women were allowed to appear in an open market by the virtue of their age. Most of the studies conducted on women's trade failed to acknowledge the existence of this class of women and their role in Hausa economy. Therefore, this paper attempts to study the role of this category of women in the operation of grains trade in the 19 th century. Murtala Ahmed Rufa'i is of the
Hausa women have been playing important role in economic development of Hausaland over the years.... more Hausa women have been playing important role in economic development of Hausaland over the years. There are some occupation and specific trade which are dominated by women. Scholars have studied the economic role of these women. There is consensus among these scholars that the Sokoto Jihad movement impacted positively on the economic life of women in the 19 th century. Women seclusion as preached and advocated by Nana Asma'u the daughter of Sheikh Usmanu Bin Fodiyo led to a change in economic status of women from open participation in the market square to what Hill called 'Hidden Trade'. What needs to be realized is that even at the apex of the Caliphate rule some old women could still be found in an open market conducting and co-coordinating different types of trade. The old women were allowed to appear in an open market by the virtue of their age. Most of the studies conducted on women's trade failed to acknowledge the existence of this class of women and their role in Hausa economy. Therefore, this paper attempts to study the role of this category of women in the operation of grains trade in the 19 th century. Murtala Ahmed Rufa'i is of the
Hausa Women have been playing important role in economic development of Hausaland over the years.... more Hausa Women have been playing important role in economic development of Hausaland over the years. There are some occupation and specific trade operated mainly by women. Scholars from different walks of life have studied the economic role of these women. There is consensus among these scholars that the Sokoto Jihad movement impacted positively on the economic life of women in the 19 th century. Women seclusion as preached and advocated by Nana Asma'u the daughter of Sheikh Usmanu Bin Fodiyo led to a change in economic status of women from open participation in the market square to what Hill called 'Hidden Trade'.
Drafts by Murtala Ahmed Rufai
Northwestern Nigeria has witnessed high level of cattle rustling and rural banditry in recent tim... more Northwestern Nigeria has witnessed high level of cattle rustling and rural banditry in recent times. Virtually all states in this zone have faced one form of violence or the other as a result of cattle rustling. The Zamfara experience seems to be amongst the worst incidences, with rural dwellers at the receiving end. Regrettably, most of the newspaper reports about banditry in Zamfara seem to be one-sided or made passing statements on it. Rural banditry and cattle rustling in the state is quite different from other states. This is because of the active involvement of the vigilante groups in the conflict. In other areas the vigilante contributed in cushioning the effect of banditry, while in Zamfara some of the vigilante members seized opportunity of the conflict to witch-hunt their old foes. Moreover, with the increase in the spate of the conflict in 2014, the vigilante group had divided opinion on how to approach the menace. Some were of the view that the bandits should be violently fought, while others advocated for a more honest and peaceful approach. This led to the emergence of parallel vigilantes; the militant and non militant group in the state. This division and violent approach to the bandits triggered the conflict to a certain proportion in 2015. As a result of this, whenever and wherever the bandits strike their explanation is that they are on 'vengeance mission' or 'reprisal attack' against the vigilante members that carried out extrajudicial killings on their fellow members. The aim of this paper is to assess the role of vigilante groups in the fight against rural banditry in Zamfara state and also trace the genesis of the division amongst the vigilante and how it further increased the rate of the conflict between the vigilante on one hand and the bandits on the other.
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Papers by Murtala Ahmed Rufai
Drafts by Murtala Ahmed Rufai