The Gombe Emirate is a traditional state in Nigeria that roughly corresponds in area to the modern Gombe State

Gombe State

Gombe State, located in the northeastern part of Nigeria, is one of the country's 36 states; its capital is Gombe. The boundaries of the state roughly correspond to those of the Gombe Emirate,a traditional state.[2]...

. It includes the five chiefdoms of Cham, Dadiya, Kaltungo, Tangale and Waja.
On 20 January 2009 the Emir of Gombe, Alhaji Shehu Usman Abubakar, celebrated his 25th year on the throne.
He had been Emir since August 1984.

Early history

The Gombe emirate was founded in 1804 during the Fulani jihad by Buba Yero, a follower of Usman dan Fodio

Usman dan Fodio

Shaihu Usman dan Fodio , born Usuman ɓii Foduye, was the founder of the Sokoto Caliphate in 1809, a religious teacher, writer and Islamic promoter. Dan Fodio was one of a class of urbanized ethnic Fulani living in the Hausa States in what is today northern Nigeria...

.
Buba Yero made Gombe Aba his headquarters for a campaign against the Jukun settlements of Pindiga and Kalam, followed by extensive raids in which he went as far as Adamawa

Adamawa Emirate

The Adamawa Emirate is a traditional state located in Fumbina, what is now the Adamawa State, Nigeria, and previously also in the three northern provinces of Cameroon . It was founded by Modibo Adama, a commander of Sheikh Usman dan Fodio, the man who began the Fulani jihad in 1809...

 on the other side of the Benue River

Benue River

The Benue River is the major tributary of the Niger River. The river is approximately 1,400 km long and is almost entirely navigable during the summer months...

.
Further lands were subdued by his son, Muhammadu Kwairanga, Emir of Gombe from 1844 to 1882.
The Gombe emirate at one time extended from Gombe Aba to Jalingo

Jalingo

Jalingo is a city in north-eastern Nigeria. It is the capital city of Taraba State and has an estimated population of 118,000.-References:...

, but in 1833 the Muri Emirate was created from part of its territory to form a state for the Emir's brother.

During the reign of Emir Zailani (1882–1888) a religious zealot, Mallam Jibril Gaini, established himself at Burmi on the border between Gombe and Fika

Fika Emirate

The Fika Emirate is a traditional state with headquarters in Potiskum, Yobe State, Nigeria.Dr. Muhammadu Abali Ibn Muhammadu Idrissa received his staff of office as 43rd Emir of Fika from Yobe governor Ibrahim Gaidam on 12 May 2010....

. Gaini managed to hold out for years against the combined forces of Gombe and neighboring emirates, and was finally defeated and exiled by the British Royal Niger Company

Royal Niger Company

The Royal Niger Company was a mercantile company chartered by the British government in the nineteenth century. It formed the basis of the modern state of Nigeria....

 in 1902.
The British conquered Gombe at the battle of Tongo in 1902.
They moved the capital of Gombe to Nafada

Nafada

Nafada is a Local Government Area of Gombe State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Nafada in the east of the area at, on the Gongola River which traverses the area.It has an area of 1,586 km² and a population of 138,185 at the 2006 census....

 in 1913, and moved the capital again in 1919 to the present Gombe town.
Waja was separated from Gombe in 1930 to become an independent District.
However, the Waja

Waja languages

The Waja or Tula–Wiyaa languages are a branch of the provisional Savanna languages, closest to Kam , spoken in eastern Nigeria....

 headmen chose Sarkin Yaki of Gombe, brother of the former Emir Umaru dan Muhammadu, as their chief.

Post-colonial era

The British had set up the Gombe Native Authority system, which continued to function after independence in 1960.
In 1976, the military regime of Olusegun Obasanjo broke up the Native Authority into the Gombe

Gombe, Nigeria

Gombe is a city in northeastern Nigeria . It is the capital city of Gombe State and has an estimated population of 261,536. The city is the headquarters of the Gombe Emirate, a traditional state that covers most of Gombe State...

, Akko

Akko, Nigeria

Akko is a Local Government Area of Gombe State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Kumo on the A345 highway south of the state capital Gombe. The town of Akko from which the LGA is named is west of Gombe at ....

 and Dukku

Dukku

Dukku is a Local Government Area of Gombe State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Dukku. The Gongola River flows through the west and north of the LGA.It has an area of 3,815 km² and a population of 207,190 at the 2006 census....

 Local Government Areas.
In 2002, Gombe State Governor Abubakar Habu Hashidu

Abubakar Habu Hashidu

Alhaji Abubakar Habu Hashidu is a Nigerian politician who was governor of Gombe State, Nigeria from May 1999 to May 2003....

 broke up Gombe Emirate into parts, ruled by 2nd Class Emirs and two Senior District Heads. The following year Governor Mohammed Danjuma Goje

Mohammed Danjuma Goje

Mohammed Danjuma Goje was elected governor of Gombe State, Nigeria, taking office on 29 May 2003...

created two additional Senior District Heads.
This has reduced the authority of the Emir at a time of increasing conflict between farmers and nomadic Udawa herders, compounded by violence from extremist religious groups.

Rulers

Rulers of Gombe Emirate:

Start	End	Ruler
1804	1841	Abubakar "Buba Yero" dan Usman Subande (b. c.1762 – d. 1841)
1841	1844	Sulaymanu dan Abubakar (d. 1844)
1844	1882	Muhammadu Kwairanga dan Abi Bakar (d. 1882)
1882	1888	Abd al-Qadiri Zaylani dan Muhammadu (d. 1888)
1888	1895	Hasan dan Muhammadu (d. 1895)
1895	1898	Tukur dan Muhammadu (d. 1898)
1898	1898	Jalo dan Muhammadu
1898	1922	Umaru dan Muhammadu (d. 1922)
1922	1935	Haruna dan Umaru (d. 1935)
January 1936		Abu Bakar dan Umaru (b. 1902)
August 1984		Shehu Usman Abubakar