The Maishanus of Sokoto: Family of intellectuals
that would become the name of a dynasty. Some years after he was born, his father was redeployed to Torankawa, where he grew up.
Maishanu attended elementary school on Yabo, where he was said to have met his cousin, former President Shagari, both reported to be the two best students of the class. He later moved to Central Elementary School in Sokoto, and Sokoto Middle School. However, Maishanu was later to enrol two of his younger brothers, Abubakar Namallam and Yusuf Yabo into elementary school.
While Namallam eventually became Education Officer, Alhaji Yusuf Yabo studied up to postgraduate level and became Local Government Secretary.
Alhaji Yusuf Yabo told Daily Trust that Maishanu was generous, and kind. “He brought me up, he sent me to primary school and secondary school. At the time he became District Head, I was working under the state government. I am his younger brother, but he helped me, like I’m his son.”
On politics, he reveals that his late brother only helped others but had no political ambition. “He assisted Shehu Shagari, who is a younger brother to him, in gaining political position. He was a man of the people, who did well in rousing interest in politics at that time. So he helped a lot, but not with any ambition.”
Alhaji Yusuf Yabo adds that his brother was fulfilled having become Sarkin Kabi Yabo.
Muhammadu Maishanu rose through the ranks to become the Chief Accountant of Sokoto Native Authority Works Department before resigning in 1972 when he was appointed the District Head (Sarkin Kabi) of Yabo. He passed away on the 1st of May, 1975.
As at time Maishahu died, only his first daughter - Kulu Aliyu Maisango was said to have graduated and was working as a nurse while two others were working as a Clerical Officer and a Customs officer. But the family said the death of their patriarch did not deter them, but only strengthened the resolve of his wives to ensure that every child attended school.
Hajiya Aisha Maishanu, 85, is one of the surviving three of the four wives of the late Sarkin Kabi. Now the most senior wife, she married him in her teens. She reveals that even for the wives, the Sarkin Kabi ensured they went through some form of education by employing the services of an education officer who organized adult lessons for them at home.
Hajiya Aisha also reminisced about the sightseeing tours their husband took them to. “He was easy -going and gentle. Anytime we had a misunderstanding, he would sneak out of the house to allow one space for sober reflection. He would later come back and advise you to take life easy,” she said. She also disclosed that the late Sarkin Kabi ensured cordiality among the wives and children. “When I gave birth to the first daughter of the family, he took the baby to his first wife for care, and she grew up not knowing who her biological mother was, and this applies to all his children. Till date, the children have this close relationship despite their polygamous background.”
Maishanu took time to read religious books and prayed extensively, especially late in the night, Hajiya Aisha said. “He was a very religious person, he ensured sound Islamic education for his children, and he encouraged them to read Islamic books.”
An endearing leader, late Maishanu who was hitherto living in Sokoto, faced stiff opposition in his country home Yabo when he was appointed the Sarkin Kabi, with other interested parties in contention in Yabo. However, he gradually won the heart of the people when they started realizing his qualities as a leader, described as “Accessible, humble and kind.”
On the relationship between her husband and former president Shagari, she explains: “Sarkin Kabi Maishanu and former President Shagari’s mother come from Sarkin Kabi Riskuwa Ahijo’s family. Every Thursday, Shagari’s mother would come to Sokoto and would visit our family. She is the elder sister to Dangara ,the father of late Maishanu.”
This huge family has continued to reinforce its bonds. Dr Abubakar Maishanu expounds: “We meet three to four times in the year. We meet in our family house in Sokoto and discuss issues affecting us all. Later, the grandchildren started meeting on their own. During Sallah holidays, the grandchildren visit us at our houses in Sokoto and they also go to Yabo and Toranakwa to greet our uncles. They also go to the palace to greet the Sarkin Kabi.”
According to him, the grandchildren went in large groups in the past, but two years ago, they stopped. This is because their number intimidated many. “About 40 of them would go, with 15-20 vehicles, but they stopped, now going in smaller groups.”
For the children of Muhammadu Maishanu, they can look back with gratitude to Almighty Allah for giving them a father with foresight and mothers with understanding who resolved to continue what their husbands started, against all odds.
Impressively, some of the Maishanus are also following the footsteps of their father, assisting others to acquire education. Hajiya Aishatu, who owns an NGO called Royal Initiative for Women and Children Development in Nigeria, is planning to establish a science and technology college: “We have been taught to know the value of education, we have seen how our father used to help people, almost all the people from our town Yabo, even before he became the traditional leader. When they come to Sokoto, they used to stay in our house and he used to assist them, he put many of his relatives in school.”
The children include late Hauwa Kulu Maisango, the first female indigene of Sokoto State to study abroad and to qualify as a nurse/midwife. There is also Dr Abubakar Maishanu, the first medical doctor from Yabo local government and presently, the chairman, Governing Board of the Sokoto State Primary Healthcare Agency; Alhaji Umaru Maishanu, the first and present District Head of Torankawa; Hajiya A’ishatu Danmahe, first female graduate from Yabo local government, the first indigenous female to attain the position of Director at the federal level; Late Aliyu Maishanu, who died as Local Government Secretary in Gwadabawa, Sokoto State, and Amina Yeldu, retired Director of Finance with the Sokoto Rima Basin Development Authority.
There are also late Aishatu Abubakar, a retired Director of finance with the state government; Late Ibrahim Maishanu, an Assistant Inspector General of Police before his death; Late Hamisu Maishanu, Comptroller of Immigration; Dr. Saidu Maishanu, a former lecturer at the International Islamic University Mbalein Uganda, and presently research fellow at the Energy Research Center Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto, UDUS; Professor Hamza Maishanu, former Provost Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto, first professor of History from Sokoto State, and co-author of a book on Sultan Abubakar III.
Some more are Dahiru Maishanu, a former Commissioner of Information in Sokoto State, and later Commissioner for Mineral Resources; Abubakar Chika Maishanu, Lecturer, Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto; Professor Isa Maishnu, a former lecturer at the International Islamic University, Islamabad, Pakistan for over 10 years and presently a professor of Comparative Religion in Sokoto and Visiting Lecturer to ABU, Zaria and Kaduna State University; Halima Maishanu Lecturer, Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto; Asmau Maishanu Lecturer, Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto; Abdullahi Maishanu, a Director with the Ministry of Education; Professor Malami Maishanu, Dean, Faculty of Management Sciences (UDUS), and the first professor in Management Sciences from the state; Rabi Maishanu, Chief Nursing Officer, Specialist Hospital, Sokoto; Hafsat Maishanu, Chief Nursing Officer, King AbdulAzeez Women and Children Hospital, Gusau, Zamfara State; Dr Nuhu Maishanu, Chief Medical Director of the Sokoto Specialist Hospital; Dr Hassan Maishanu, Senior Lecturer, Department of Biological Sciences, UDUS; Sulaiman Maishanu, a Principal Superintendent, ICPC, Kano, as well as Bashar Maishanu, lecturer at Umar Aliyu Shinkafi Polytechnic, Sokoto, among others. After all, the Maishanus of Sokoto are part of a sprawling, accomplished dynasty that continues to grow.