Muhammadu Mai Maina

Muhammadu Mai Maina (1874–1964) was the first chief of Askira. He worked as an interpreter for the Northern Nigeria colonial government from 1895 to 1913, when he was appointed Chief of the Margi District in Bornu. In 1917, he resigned from this position and worked as a trader in Potiskum. Later, he founded the town of Askira and was appointed its chief in 1921, a position he held for over forty years. In 1958, he published Labarin Maimaina Na Jega, Sarkin Askira, a memoir about his early career as an interpreter. In 1961, he became a member of the Northern Region House of Chiefs.

Early life Mai Maina was born in Jega in 1874. His father, Yerima Abdu, was the grandson of the chief of Gimbana, Abdussalam, and a descendant of Abdullahi dan Fodio, the founder of the Gwandu Emirate. His mother, Salamatu, was the daughter of the chief of Lokoja, Abbega, a Marghi man who was noted traveller who had accompanied Dr. Heinrich Barth on his exploration of West Africa. Mai Maina's father died shortly after his birth. His mother took him back to Lokoja, where he was brought up by his grandfather Abbega.

On Abbega's recommendation, Mai Maina was selected for a reconnaissance mission to Kano. His task was to determine if the Emir of Kano had a "well-disciplined army" and to "discover whether, as was said, he had sent some of his slaves to Lokoja to join the army there who, after their training, had returned to Kano and were now instructing the Emir's men in the arts of European warfare." He arrived in Kano in 1901 disguised as an itinerant trader. He stayed with a longtime friend who lived in the city. This friend introduced him to the Wambai of Kano, Mahmuda, who was the brother of the Emir, Aliyu Babba. After trading his goods with the Wambai, Mai Maina befriended him. Upon completing his assignment, he concluded that the Emir "certainly had a lot of rifles but no disciplined army."

In 1961, Mai Maina became a member of the Northern Region House of Chiefs. He died in 1964, shortly after his ninetieth birthday.

Writings In 1958, Mai Maina published the first volume of Labarin Maimaina Na Jega, Sarkin Askira, a memoir about his early career as an interpreter. In 1964, the Nigerian Government appointed him Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON).