Maigari's father and grandfather

Maigari was born in 1880 during the reign of Lamido Sanda. His father, Yerima Babbawa, was the grandson of Modibbo Adama and the Lamido of Nyibango. Yerima's father, Hamidu bin Modibbo Adama, was put in charge of a large chunk of territory populated mainly by Chamba and Verre peoples. He made Nyibango (also known as Hibango) the headquarters of his new territory. When Lamido Lawal died in 1872, the last two remaining sons of Modibbo Adama laid claims to the throne namely Hamidu and Sanda. The Sultan of the Sokoto Caliphate, Sultan Abubakar II, (along with his council) was tasked with choosing one as the new Lamido. The Sultan picked Hamidu who mysteriously died shortly after, before the news even reached Yola. Sanda was then later picked as the new Lamido by the Sultan. Lamido Sanda then appointed Hamidu's 14-year-old son, Yerima Babbawa, as the new Lamido Nyibango. Lamido Sanda later changed his mind on this decision but Yerima, who was a fine fighter, swore to defend Nyibango to the death.^[4] When Germany and Britain colonised the region in 1903, only a small portion of Yerima's territory, including Nyibango, was in British territory and the remaining fell in German Kamerun. Yerima said he was too old to serve under European rule and retired to his town of Nyibango.^[3]

Founding of Nassarawo and conflict with the British

In 1901, Maigari defended Yola till the city fell during the British invasion of Yola. He joined Lamido Zubeiru in fleeing away from the city. While passing through Bazza in Michika, Zubeiru's party were robbed, taking them for ordinary travellers. A Kanuri man named Bukar helped Maigari by giving him a spear to defend himself on the road. Over two decades later when Maigari became Lamido Adamawa, he repaid Bukar for this act. Lamido Zubeiru was later killed by some Lala men in a village called Go who mistook him for a slave raider but Maigari managed to escape.^[5]

When Maigari returned to Nyibango and seeing the new developments, he immediately went to the "German" side and got recognised as the ruler of that part of the territory by the local populations as he refused to accept the surrender of essentially the entirety of his father's territory. In a letter to the colonial Governor of Bokari Busso on January 26, 1918, Maigari wrote that his Father, Yerima, "did not want his family to lose what had been theirs. He took me to Garoa and introduced me to the German officer there and asked him to make me the District Head of the German share of the old Nyibango territory. The Germans agreed and I have been the District Head of Nassarawo since the past 18 years".^[4] He tried to convince his father and the people of his territory to join him on the "German" side of the territory and abandon the "British" side. He managed to convince a large number of Fulani, Chamba and Verre peoples to join him but not his father. Maigari founded his town of Nassarawo and made it the capital of his territory.^[2][3]

Maigari immediately started sending the Germans gifts to try and get their support of which the British did not appreciate. They claimed he was manipulating the Fulani and Chamba people. They accused him of sending raiders to their territory to caputure slaves and steal from farms. They issued an arrest-warrant on him and branded him a criminal. Mounted armed troops were sent to capture him near the border. He was eventually captured but he managed to escape before he could be taken to Yola.^[3] On 20 February, Barclay, a British Resident of Yola, met Captain Strumpell, German Resident, to urge him to catch Maigari. Strumpwell agreed to fulfill this wish but the Germans were unwilling to curb Maigari. The British appointed a nephew of Yerima, Hammawa bin Iyabano bin Hamidu, as Lamido of the British "portion" of the territory with the capital remaining at Nyibango. This appointment led into a "pathethic family feud" which led to a lot of bloodshed and bitterness and lasted up until the First World War.^[3]

Maigari under the British

During the Kamerun campaign of the First World War, Maigari originally fought on the side of the Germans but he soon realised that he was on the side that was likely to lose. He quickly changed sides and allied with the British. The Germans set a bounty on his head and he was eventually arrested. He was assigned nine soldiers to take him to Kontcha but in the night, Maigari killed four soldiers and managed to escape to Yola with all four of their heads. He presented the heads to the British there who then put him on house arrest before allowing him to return to Nassarawo.^[6]

Maigari was now under British colonial rule but largely enjoyed autonomous freedom. He grew more powerful than he ever was by increasing his territory. He regularly refused orders from Yola which frustrated the colonial administrators but they respected his competence describing him as "the most important and far the ablest of the District Heads". The colonial Officer who translated one of his letters to the Governor "admired his strong personality and administrative capabilities" and suggested he could be appointed Lamido Adamawa. He, however, was greatly feared among the Chamba and other non-Fulani groups of the area. He led or ordered raids on villages that led to destruction of farmlands and left many people dead.

During the First World War, Babbawa moved to Nassarawo to stay with his son and live out the rest of his life. The constant raids sent by the British from Yola when Maigari was still with the Germans, however, led Babbawa to move to Mapeo, 15 miles from Nassarawo. Babbawa was killed in Mapeo not long after. Maigari wrote to the regional Governor:

My father died fighting like an old lion among a pack of wild dogs; they brought his Fez, his Gown and his Praying beads to (Lamido) Abba in Yola. Am I to swear loyalty and obedience to this Abba? Am I to suffer his taunts and insults? Am I the son of my murdered father? Were there no Europeans in this area, the Lamido of Yola would not attempt to interfere with me or compel my allegiance, but he would live in constant dread of my coming to exact vengeance for my father's murder and install myself as the acceptable Lamido of Yola. For well he knows how many of the Yola Sarakuna would join me as I approach that town.

He appealed to the British not to put him under the sphere of Yola or he would renounce his title and leave for Mecca with his family. Six years later in 1924, while Lamido Abba was dying of prostate cancer, Maigari deployed troops to surround Yola. The British did not interfere as they viewed Maigari as a favourable candidate for Lamido and as an ally who will protect British interests. After the passing of Abba, Maigari, and his troops, advanced towards the royal palace. He arrived just as the kingmakers were about to choose the new Lamido Adamawa. The kingmakers chose him as the 8th Lamido of Adamawa. He was the first Lamido of Adamawa from the royal House of Hamidu, the only royal House to not produce a Lamido prior to Maigari.^[4] Lamido Maigari passed away after a protracted illness.^[7]

After Maigari was made Lamido Adamawa, the position of District Head of Nassarawo was passed to his cousin Chiroma as none of his sons were of age. He was later dismissed and Dan Buram, a "bagman" who was a follower of Chiroma, was chosen to replace him. Later, Hamman Tukur was transferred to be the District Head of Nassarawo and also the Wakilin Chamba of the Chiefdoms comprising Gurum, Yebbi, Tolla and Sugu districts.^[8][9]