One of the most significant rulers of the House of Kutumbi, he solved the puzzle of Kano's complex structure and provided the blueprint for its successful administration which would survive even after the fall of the Kutumbawa.
Through the utilization of force and espionage, he created order out of chaos by pitting government officials against each other and disrupting communication channels between chiefs in the State to avoid organized revolts.
[1][2] "He was an able Sarki, of great strength, renowned for his memory and eloquence, He was called Babban Zaki....
The Kano chronicle omits his birth name, his ephitet Babban Zaki, means "Great Lion".
He was also praised as "Jan Rano, Gasa Giwa", which translates to "The three pronged fork who roasts elephants" in attribution to his mastery over the chiefs of Kano.
Below is a biography of Babba Zaki from Palmer's 1908 English translation of the Kano Chronicle.
He made war on Burumburum, and took the town by assault, capturing many of the inhabitants and cutting the throats of some, whilst the others fled.
Hence he was called “Jan Rano, well named the disturber of elephants.” In war he forced them to fight against their judgment.
Among the Sarki’s sons were: Dan Iya, Mallam Osnman, Choka, Daka and Nafata.