TULA HISTORY

The Tula people live on the plateau that constitute vast expanse of land and plains. Tula has common borders with Panda to the north, Kamo, Awak, Ture and Kaltungo to the West with Dadiya and Cham to the South and South East respectively and Waja to the East. The size of the area is conservatively put at 455 square kilometres. Tula was the First Headquarters of the defunct Tangale Waja Native Authority from 1915 before moving the headquarters to Billiri in March 1970. Today the defunct Tangale Waja Native Authority has given birth to the present day Kaltungo, Billiri, Balanga and Shomgom Local Governments. The Tula people are known warriors and were never defeated in battle, hence the popular saying that ‘Tula maza ba tsoro’; meaning Tula people are fearless fighters. In 1877 Mai Sale, the Emir of Misau, in present day Bauchi State adventured on a jihad conquest to Tula land and met his waterloo. He was not only woefully defeated, but was killed in the battle in Wange, Tula. (Gazetteers of the Northern Provinces of Nigeria Vol. 1: The Hausa Emirates (Bauchi, Sokoto, Zaria, and Kano) page 13 paragraphs 48). As with the custom then, the head of the Emir was cut-off and kept in Tula as a reminder to would be future adventurers.

Tula is 645 meters above sea level and has vast rich agricultural lands on the plain of Baule and Yiri as well as high tourism potentials in Wange.  Common trees found in Tula include baobab, locust bean, gum arabic, palm oil etc. In addition, are the famous goron Tula trees which grows only in Tula; kola nuts, fruits trees such as pea, guava, mangoes, banana, sugarcane, pineapple, and oranges grown in abundance. Main crops include millet, coco yam, rice, beans, soya beans, guinea corn, groundnut and a host of other cash crops. The Tula people also rear animals.

The Tula mountain is said to house abundant mineral resources in commercial quantity such as iron ore, fine clay, uranium, basalt etc. The population as projected in 1996 by the National Population Commission is more than 200,000 people.

Tula Chiefdom is located 101 kilometres away from the GOMBE State capital and 15 kilometres off the Adamawa Yola highway.

• The origin of Tula People

The Tula people believed to have migrated from a place called Yemen in the Middle East. The exact period could not be ascertained. They travelled south west through Egypt and Sudan and settled in Ngazargamu in the then Kanem/Borno Empire in the North east part of Nigeria. Thereafter, they moved through Gujba-Nafada to the foot of Bima Mountain in Tera land. Their presence caused panic among the Tera people but they were assured of peace which till date is a legacy for every Tula person. From Bima they went their different routes thereby bringing to the formation of the three different settlements of present day Yiri, Baule and Wange in the 17th century. Tula is the name for the three clans from origin.

Wange

The Wange or Kutule  under the leadership of one Kaito Bwayam were the first to depart through Gelengu and arrived at the present place called Wange. There are eleven clans, Bwayam, Bucham, Bwabwi, Kulachine, Kutube, Bulange, Bilang, Biladabu, Bilanuke, Bwikwam and Bilasuwe.  They became members of a tribal council under the senior     Tebinne of Bwayam. Tebinne means father of the town until the advent of the British administration in Tula in 1906 the pattern of leadership was changed to Maiship when Mai Kalla Bwayam was made the first Mai of Wange.

Chronology of Wange Chiefs.

Name of Ruler                                          Period                                      

• Mai Kalla                                      1905-1909                                    
• Mai Billigim                                 1910-1916                                    
• Mai Jatau                                      1916-1925                                    
• Mai Limbe                                    1925-1928                           
• Mai Bwayili                                  1928-1956                            
• Mai Aliyu Tille Shamaki            1956-1969                         
• Mai Abdullahi Shamaki             1969-Date                      

YIRI

The Yirbu or Yiri left the foot of Bima Mountain to Kata Shelleng present day Adamawa State and after staying there, they moved fully and settled at the present location and named it Yili and later changed to Yiri. The first to arrive were the Kulaku and Kilai clans who got fire and corn seed from Kutule. Then came the houses of Bwane, Dadiye, Kalaku, Kwarsu, Kwen and Warfun making 8 in all and formed Elders Tribal Council under Tebine of Kulaku. When the British forces came, the Tebine of Kulaku hid and the Tebine of Kwarsu clan succeeded and was made Mai in 1906.

Chronology of Yiri chiefs

Name of ruler.                                  Period 

• Mai Toyilin.                             1905-1934
• Mai Buba Yato.                       1934-1972
• Mai Mairiyi Buba .                  1972-1975
• Mai Adamu Kalla                    1975-1994      
•   Mai Yarima Bubu.                 1994-Date

                 BAULE

Baule migrated south ward to the mountain and so journeyed near a village called Panda where they stayed for a while and established good relationship with the Panda people. They departed to the hills and settled on the mountains they named loduke, lokirange, Twangbu,  Kirane, Bansuwang, Dilankirin and Dalange. They moved and settled at the place they named Tatube, Bwotai, Bakwe, Kwamkware. Thereafter, they moved to Kwayim Bussam, Tela later to Lobwe-Loture, Belure where they later again moved to Kwake lofune, Taule and Suki-Bilakwale.

The proper organization for the Baule is governed by Mai and council of the 15 clans in Baule. The British found traditional rule existing when they arrived.

Chronology of Baule Chiefs.

            Name of Ruler                            Period                                 Ruling Family

1. Mai Jauro                                     Pre-colonial                         Leader of Baule
2. Mai Wumne                                 Pre-colonial                         Wumne
3. Mai Silangani                               Pre-colonial                          Wumne
4. Mai Buba Mele                            1905-1922                             Wumne
5. Mai Aizagana kudal                    1922-1938                             Wumne
6. Mai Atare Buba                           1938-1957                             Wumne
7. Mai Hassan Musa                       1957-1998                             Wumne
8. Mai Ibrahim Hassan Musa        1998-Date                             Wumne

CREATION OF TULA CHIEFDOM

The three districts of Baule, Wange and Yiri were the recognised traditional institutions in Tula land with Mai Baule as the most senior District head. Various attempts have been made to see to the creation of Tula chiefdom as far back as the 1940s but were protracted by disunity among the three communities.  After yearning for it for over 60 years; Tula Chiefdom was created out of Kaltungo Chiefdom by Act of Gombe State House of Assembly in July 2000 during the administration of Alh Abubakar Habu Hashidu the First Civillian Governor of Gombe State. On the 7th of December 2001, Dr K.A Buba was appointed the 1st Mai Tula and classified as 3rd class with 13 Districts in the Chiefdom. He was presented with Staff of Office in March 2003. In January 2011, the administration of Alh. Muhammad Danjuma Goje the 2nd Executive Civilian Governor of the state upgraded the Chiefdom to First Class Status along with several others that were created by Alh Abubakar Habu Hashidu in 2000.

MAI TULA FROM CREATION TO DATE

1. Dr Kokiya Atare Buba I                7 – 12 - 2001 to 13th-12-2009
2. Alh Abubakar Atare Buba II        21 – 12 - 2009 to Date

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Tula

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