Hayatu ibn Sa'id

Shehu Hayatu ibn Sa'id (; 1840 – 1898), also known as Hayatu Balda, was a 19th-century Islamic scholar and the leading Mahdist leader in the Central Sudan region. He was the great-grandson of Usman dan Fodio, the leader of the Sokoto jihad and first caliph of Sokoto. Hayatu left Sokoto in the late 1870s to settle in Adamawa, the emirate on the easternmost end of the caliphate. In 1883, he was appointed as the deputy of the Sudanese Mahdi, Muhammad Ahmad, and was tasked with leading a jihad over the Sokoto Caliphate. Despite several attempts by Lamido Zubeiru of Adamawa to persuade Hayatu to abandon his Mahdist cause, conflict ensued resulting in a disastrous defeat for Zubeiru's forces in 1893. This victory bolstered Hayatu's following and influence, leading to an alliance with Rabih az-Zubayr, a Sudanese warlord and Mahdist sympathiser. Together, they conquered the weakened Bornu Empire in 1893, aiming eventually to conquer the Sokoto Caliphate. Hayatu served as the Imam of Rabih's Bornu, acting as its spiritual leader. However, the alliance eventually fractured, and Hayatu was killed during an attempted escape from Bornu in 1898.

Hayatu later devoted himself primarily to scholarly pursuits, such as studying, teaching, writing, and composing poems. He also participated in the administration of Gandi (in modern-day Rabah), a ribat (fortified frontier garrison) under the command of his father.

On his way to the 'East,' Hayatu stayed in Maroua, in the northeast of Adamawa. He then moved to Bogo, about 20 miles from Maroua. He settled there with a large force, hoping to make it the capital of his new state. The district governor of the town, Lamdo Garei, permitted him to settle in Balda, eight miles away, a nursery where the successor to the governor at Bogo received experience in administration. From Balda, Hayatu launched his jihad against the non-Muslim peoples of the area, including the Musgum, Masa and Semaya peoples. The Fulani Muslims of Bogo had failed to subdue these tribes for several decades but Hayatu was hoping to succeed by using the belief in the expectation of the Mahdi to rally the Muslims.

Although he had won the battle, Hayatu realised that he had to start from Sokoto itself before his movement could gain serious support from the caliphate's emirates. Though he had many sympathisers, most felt that he needed to withdraw his allegiance from a foreign power and "submit to the demands of the established authority." His victory over Zubeiru encouraged Rabih az-Zubayr, the Sudanese warlord, to enter into an alliance with him. Rabih was a sympathiser of the Mahdist cause and had plans of conquering Bornu. He sent a message congratulating Hayatu on his victory and proposed a meeting in Mandjaffa in Baghirmi. This meeting led to an alliance between the two with the goal of first conquering Bornu and later having Rabih aid Hayatu in conquering Mandara and the Sokoto Caliphate. As an assurance of good faith, Rabih gave Hayatu his daughter, Hauwa, in marriage.

In Bornu

In October 1893, the alliance successfully defeated Mai Hashim, conquering Bornu and installing Rabih as its new ruler. Early in 1894, Hayatu relocated to Rabih's new capital Dikwa and was appointed the Imam of Bornu. His new wife, Hauwa, was described by Émile Gentil, a French colonial officer, as an intelligent but depraved woman who was accustomed to wearing male clothing. He further described her as a remarkable shooter who "never went out unless armed with a rifle."

Hayatu remained in Bornu, serving as the spiritual leader of Rabih's army but was quickly overshadowed by Rabih. He grew frustrated as Rabih prioritised measures against the French advances into the Chad region. Additionally, the severe defeat of the Mahdist army in Sudan greatly diminished the fervour of the cause. Despite these circumstances, Hayatu apparently maintained "a high sense of responsibility." Gentil described him as "a very sympathetic character, a sort of righter of wrongs. Very pious, he spoke out vehemently against crimes." Citing Rabih's reputation as a tyrannical leader, Gentil further suggested that Hayatu "could not have approved of Rabah's actions."

Nevertheless, by late 1897, Hayatu gave up on the alliance and planned to flee Dikwa. He sent secret letters to his supporters, including Jibril Gaini of Gombe, informing them of his intention to break the alliance with Rabih. In January 1898, while Rabih was on a military campaign against the French, Jibril sent about fifty horsemen to escort Hayatu out of Dikwa. However, Hauwa informed her brother Fadl-Allah, Rabih's second-in-command, of the plan, who attempted to stop it. A battle ensued, during which Hayatu was killed. His followers who accompanied him were completely killed as they refused to abandon his body.