Gumel

Gumel or Gumal (as the natives call it) is a town and traditional emirate in Jigawa State, Nigeria.

Geography

Gumel is located 120 km northeast of Kano, and lies about 20 km south of Nigeria's northern border with Niger. As of 2007 the estimated population of Gumel was 44,158.

History

The emirate was founded about 1750 by Dan Juma of Kano city and his followers from the Mangawa tribe. Shortly after his death in 1754, it became a tributary state of the Bornu kingdom. The emirate survived the Fulani attacks of Usman dan Fodio's jihad in the early 19th century and never became part of the Fulani empire of Sokoto. The present day location of Gumel is the result of an 1845 move from the city of Tumbi, which is located in present day Niger. The emirate has frequently been at war with the nearby cities of Hadejia, Danzomo, Kano, and Zinder since 1828. The war with Hadejia continued until the death of Gumel's emir, Abdullahi, in 1872. Before Emir Ahmadu accepted British rule in 1903 frequent slave raids from the town of Zinder were common. In 1976 Gumel became part of Kano State, and since 1991 it has been part of Jigawa State near by Danzomo, Gagarawa, Sule Tankarkar, Maigatari.