Abu Bakr Atiku

Abu Bakr Atiku (; 1782–1842) was the third Sultan of the Sokoto Caliphate, reigning from October 1837 until November 1842.

Early years Abu Bakr Atiku dan Shehu was born to the second wife of Usman dan Fodio in 1782. He was involved, as were all his siblings, in studies directed by his father in Degel until the family and some followers were exiled in 1804. Many of his works of history and poetry survive and are considered key texts of the era.

In 1815, when Usman dan Fodio died, he briefly contested his brother Muhammed Bello for control of the Sokoto Caliphate. The bloodless succession struggle ended with Bello the Sultan of the Caliphate and Atiku imprisoned for one year. When he was released, he became an adviser to Mohammed Bello for the remainder of Bello's life.

Sultan Atiku became the Sultan in 1837 when his brother Muhammed Bello died. Atiku was disliked by some of the Emirs of the Caliphate who tried to organize for other candidates, but Atiku was quickly named the successor to his brother.

Atiku attempted to reverse some of the policies of Bello that he considered extravagant. He banned dancing and music and made instruction in the Caliphate much more rigid. In addition, although Bello had operated his administration out of Wurno for the final years of his life, Atiku moved the capital back to Sokoto.

Lineage One of his sons was Ahmadu Atiku, the fifth Sultan, and another son was `Abd ar-Rahman dan Abi Bakar, the eleventh Sultan of the Sokoto Caliphate. His grandson was Muhammadu Attahiru I, final sultan of the independent Sokoto Caliphate.