Like Shekau, like Maitatsine by sun newspaper

An attempt to situate Abubakar Shekau in Nigeria’s history brings him in close comparison with Mohammed Marwa, popularly known as Maitatsine. Controversial Islamic preacher, Maitatsine whose activities predates Nige­ria’s independence was a thorn in the flesh of the Nigerian gov­ernment until December1980 when he died alongside over 4000 other people in what is today known as The Maitatsine Riot.

Like Shekau, Maitatsine was from Kanuri ethnic group. While both characters may not conve­niently claim to own their bellig­erent posturing to their ethnicity, the duo shares a lot in common. Repudiation and condemnation of Shekau’s viewpoint on Islamic religion by Muslim faithful is not a recent development.  Maitatsine equally became famous for his controversial interpretations of the Holy Quran. He once boasted that he was a great prophet, branding himself a Mujahid in the mould of Sheikh Usman dan Fodio.

Although a Quranic scholar, he seemingly rejected the hadith and the Sunnah and regarded the read­ing of any other book apart from the Quran as paganism. Maitatsine and his men kicked against the use of radios, watches, bicycles, cars and the possession of more money than necessary.

Maitatsine’s belligerent pos­turing often pitted him against constituted authorities. The British colonial authorities sent him into exile at a time, but he returned to Kano shortly after independence. He was thereafter jailed in 1962 over his violent acts.

By 1972, he had been able to win to his side, a number of notable followers, who also led other armed religious warriors known all over northern Nigeria as Yan Tatsine. His followers were also involved in a serious clash at a mosque in Kano’s Sabongari in 1972 that resulted in loss of many lives. In 1975, Maitatsine was arrested by the Nigerian police for slander and public disparaging of political authorities.

The activities of the group took a more deadly dimension in 1979, when Maitatsine was said to have equated himself with Prophet Mohammed. By December 1980, he allegedly incited his Yan Tatsine loyalists to attack other religious figures and any policeman or officer sighted in the street. The development was believed to have provoked the involvement of the Nigerian Army.

Maitatsine finally died in De­cember 1980 shortly after sustain­ing injuries in one of the clashes between his group and the nation’s security operatives. Despite his death, however, his followers continued with the crusade until they were eventually subdued in 1984. Reports of clashes between 1980 and 1985 arising from his teachings and group’s activities indicated that no fewer than 5,000 persons were killed during the period.