Religion in Bauchi State
Religion in Bauchi State of Nigeria is mainly Islam. The Sharia is valid in the entire state. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Bauchi has its seat in the state.
See also
Islam came to Bauchi from Borno axis in the early part of the 14th century; however, it did not get solid root until the end of the seventeenth century through the Sokoto Caliphate. Yakubu the son of Dosa of the Gerawa tribe along with Bello of Zungur from the Bakal tribe of the Jarawa can be said to be the champions of Islam in Bauchi State. Two of them were given over to a Koranic teacher at Jetar, a village on the Dindima river bank in the middle of the 17th century to learn Arabic. As the Pagans began to put pressure on Islam all over Northern Nigeria, the teacher relocated to Sokoto where he handed over Yakubu and Bello to Othman Dan Fodio. It was there that Yakubu and Bello got in touch with Shehu of Gombe.
Having spent few Years under Dan Fodio, these students graduated and were sent to go and establish Islam in their various areas. Few years after their arrival, the revolt or the Jihad of DanFodio against the Chief of Gobir broke out and Yakubu and Bello rushed to Sokoto where they were given the flag to wage Jihad in Bauchi land. Shehu went to Sokoto while Elzakio concentrated in Katagum Azare area.
Strategy
Yakubu and Bello did not use military might exclusively in order to achieve their goal instead, they use some of their tribal groups to propagate Islam. Yakubu was mandated to head the Monarchical was Bello was shouldered with the task of spirituality as the Imam of the new Emirate. Bello used common brotherhood to acquire little cooperation of the Bakal people that lived from Jetar up to Zungur-Yamrat area while Yakubus people, the Gerawa remained pagans even after his death.
Using the Jahunawa that came along with him, Yakubu and bello ran over the Gwak people without much resistance. The Galadma with his regiment turned on the Duguri people and took the village of Ngigera now Gigera, but were blocked by the Duguri warriors at the place called the Ban nwag loh ( place of over night battle) From there they sent the charmed black bull to Duguri people and was killed at Twalang which resulted in the battle of twonglang. Many people were killed and the battle ended without winner and without looser up to the coming of the colonial masters which led the Duguri people to opt for Pankshin Native Authority, until 1910 when they voluntarily returned to Bauchi Native Authority.
Islam was repelled at the Dass frontier at a famous battle called the Mbula battle which was fought at a place called Jakiri in Dott ward of Dass Local Government. Islam was able to gain entrance through Maleka the father of Bilyaminu Othman, the first Emir of Dass. At the Rauta Ningi axis, Islam did not suffer much except in the hands of the Warji and Miya people and so the emirate allowed them to remain submissive and practice their religion until the opening of the 19th century when most of them voluntarily joined Islam.
CHRISTIANITY IN BAUCHI STATE