Umaru Nagwamatse

Umaru Nagwamatse (Arabic: عمر بن أبو بكر أتيكو, romanized: ʿUmar bin ʾAbū Bakr ʾAtiku; c.1806 – 1876) was the founder and the first ruler (Sarkin Sudan) of the Kontagora Emirate.

[4]: 184 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.

At the time, Katuru was one of the fortresses in the upper Rima Valley, used by Sokoto in efforts to suppress the ongoing Gobir revolts against the Caliphate.

Johnston, this made his older brother Ahmadu Zaruku jealous, as he feared being replaced as heir apparent to the Sokoto rulership.

At that time, Makama Dogo was leading a campaign in the Lower Benue Valley against the Igbirra Kingdom of Panda on behalf of the Emir of Zaria.

Initially, he allowed Nagwamatse to set up a war camp in Bogi (near Wushishi), but later granted him free rein north of the River Kurmin Kada.

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.

Despite receiving assistance from the Hausa Emirate of Abuja, the Gbagyi were ultimately defeated by Nagwamatse, who conquered the southern and western parts of their territory.

[4]: 186 Nagwamatse supported Yakubu in the conflict, and under that pretext, managed to capture what had been eastern Yauri, extending his control up to the Molendo River.

The Emir was preoccupied with suppressing a fierce rebellion in Kebbi and likely did not want to involve himself in another conflict, especially against the younger brother and vassal of the Caliph of Sokoto.

He continued enlarging his emirate by conquests of Kamuku, Kamberi, Dakarki (Dakarawa), Dukawa, Nupe, and Gbagyi towns and captured many slaves.

While they continued to owe nominal allegiance to the Caliph, they ravaged Gbagyiland and southern Zaria through relentless slave raids, targeting both Muslims and non-Muslims alike.

According to legend, Nagwamatse scratched the ground with his right hand, causing water to miraculously gush forth, allowing his army to perform ablution for the late afternoon prayer after an expedition.