BALI YESTERDAY, TODAY AND TOMORROW

To start with the word “Bali” (also known as Bibaali, Maya,

Ibaale, Abaali, Ibaale or Ibaali) is used to refer to the communities
that settled at these villages: Farabaune, Tashan Gurgu,
Geidam/Tamgum, Tagombali Center, Duwo, Tamwa, Badan,
Kwafara, Gidan-Rimi, Tamshe, Bali, and Bomni located on
Numan-Jalingo Highway about 20KMs from Numan. Others who
settled in the interior are: Janawuri, Salem (Babgye), Badalang,
Tamgong, Tagombali Dutse, Tangshi, Guri, Guri Kasuwa, Dingle,
Kwabak, and Ubgo (Dingle Dutse) who speak Congo-Ubanpi
language as classified by Blench and others. Presently, Bali is
located in Demsa, Numan, Mayo Belwa Local Government areas
of Adamawa State and. Majority of the people are agriculturalist,
though there are traders, herdsmen and civil servants among
them.
Like any other ethnic groups in Nigeria, the Bali claims that
they entered the Nigeria region from the east. The Bali, for
example claim that they entered the Nigerian region from
the Republic of Congo and through gradual process; they came
and settled in their present geographical location. The Yotti claim
that they came into the Nigerian region from Egypt. The
Kpasham and Bomni denied any knowledge of distance
movement. They claim that they came from Bachama land,
probably from Lamurde to the area they are now occupying.
However, linguistics evidence suggests that the people are of
Bantu origin. The evidence points to Republic of Congo as their
original homeland.
It is not known when the people left their original
settlement. Probably, the people must have left their original
settlement in the 17th Century by which time there was
population movement in the whole of the West, East and Central
Africa as a result of famine, facial wars and chieftaincy tussle.
The Bali might have formed part of the population that migrated
to the Lake Chad basin area and, later to the Upper Benue
Valley. Before the declaration of the Jihad in Fombina, in 1809,
Bali had already settled in their various communities and has
developed village governments or better still, community
governments, independent of each other.
Apart from these community governments set up by the
Bali, the people also had a well defined social and economic
system which rendered their societies stable. For example, one
aspect of the social life of the people is that the Bali had great
respect for life. In fact, the spilling of human blood was seen as
offensive to Kpan Biswi (Kpan Luh or Luwe, among the Yotti and
Kpasham respectively). Most Bali believed that it was Kpan
Biswi that guide and sustain their livelihood. To the Bali,
therefore, life was very sacred. The birth of a child was greeted
with joy not only by the parents but also by the community as a
whole. The growth and development of such a child was watched
carefully by the entire community.
 He was trained not only by his parents and relatives alone
but by the community as a whole. This made Bali child useful
member of his society.
Similarly, the death of a member was mourned by all and
was seen as a great loss to the entire Bali Community. In short,
there was social cohesion among the Bali people before the
advert of Colonialism. For instance, an attack on any of the Bali
Village by the enemy was seen as an attack on all. Besides,
individual farmers or other hunters assisted their colleagues in
time of need, especially through communal work (Gaya in
Hausa). To put it in another way, during pre-colonial period, Bali
Society was quite peaceful and people were hardworking. Their
quarrels were settled among them peacefully, although on rare
occasions, they resort to skirmishes.
During the first decade of the 19th Century, Bali Land
started to experience some political, economic and social
disequilibrium. The declaration of the Jihad in Fombina in 1809
by, Modibbo Adama affected not only the Bali but the whole of
the Upper Benue Region. The Jihadists attempted to overrun the
whole of Bali land but without success. However, one
devastating impact of this Jihad on the people is that there
were population movements throughout Bali land. In the
process, many of the Bali lost their children, their relatives,
friends and possessions to the Jihadists. Even before the
declaration of the Jihad by Moddibo Lawan on Bali people,
Baliland had been under constant threats from Fulani and
Bachama slave raiders.
 The threats posed to the Bali by the slave raiders and the
menace of the Jihadists, led to restriction of Bali social,
economic and political activities. Consequently, poverty
gradually started to gain inroad into the society. A missionary,
Ernest Engskor who visited Bali village in the early 1930S had
this to bay:
Bali appeared to us to be one of the most wretched, primitive and
poverty stricken of African villages, enslaved as the people were
by ancient tradition and fear of evil spirit. Our had been on
exceptional and unique experience for it was almost as though
these people had awakened from their sleeping beauty
enhancement to discover the great world beyond their isolated
society (Enskor, 1983:179).
The Bali was gradually tackling the problems of slave raiders and
Fulbe Jihadists, when British colonial masters extended their
activities to Bali land. Eventually the people were conquered and
brought under the British colonial administration in 1903.
1903 to 1912, the whole area South of Numan Town was
regarded as “closed territory”. It was not until after 1912 that
Bali land, including those living in Mayo-Belwa and Lau was
opened to Christian missionaries.
By 1940S, colonialism and Christianity were deeply noted in
Bali villages. Indeed, while the Christian missions, especially the
United Sudan Mission (SUM) were busy softening the minds of
the people they saw as “uncivilized”, the British Colonial Masters
were taking their resources away for the development of their
home countries. The result is that Bali was left to face acute
starvation and hunger. In this[1] way, colonialism continued to
destroy Bali economy, technology and self-reliant development
just as the slave raiders and Jihadists had done.
This was how the whole of Baliland became a British
possession at the beginning of the 20th Century like any other
ethnic nationality in Nigeria. Indeed, slave trade and colonialism
were the major forces that set back Bali development. The slave
raiders dominated Bali homeland and the British exploited Bali
homeland and the British exploited Bali resources.
Throughout colonial period, the Bali struggled to free
himself from colonial domination. In 1913, for example, one of
the Bali men short and wounded a British Touring Officer who
had gone to Bali for head account. In reprisal, Bali village was
attacked and destroyed by the British punitive expedition. It took
the people years to build their village. But this did not stop the
people from opposing the British actively or passively. On 1st
October 1960, however, the Bali people together with the rest of
the ethnic groups in the country gained political independence
from Britain.

BALI TODAY
Bali land today is a shadow of its pre-colonial setting. Both
the settlements and the traditional institutions have lost their
glory. It will appear that Bali became famous on account of its
preeminence in farming and military powers. The existence of
fertile soil, abundant rainfall and iron ore enabled the people of
Bali lands to produce more food crops and military equipment
than the neighbouring Yandang, Bwatye and, possibly, many
other inhabitants of the surrounding area. But this fame for food
crops production and military powers was completely lost by the
beginning of the 20th century with the result that today not only
is military powers no longer displayed by the people but even the
agriculture which is the mainstay of the economy of the people
has declined greatly.
Nevertheless, the Kpaneship is still in existence. But even
then, the Kpane (District and village heads) no longer performs
traditional functions which are largely spiritual in nature. These
include directing religious festivals of Tamtale among the Bali
and Pille among the Yotti, held in November and Yale held
between October and December. These festivals hitherto served
as unifying factors where the young people in the society come to
meet and make friends with each other. Not only that, it was
during Tamtale (pille) that the age-grade system among the
people was perfected. These social gatherings have virtually
vanished without any attempt to revive them, thereby reducing
the people into inconsequential elements in Adamawa and
Taraba States.
One would have taught that what Bali may have lost in the
colonial period they have more than made up for in the
postcolonial Nigeria. But on the contrary, the people did not
make for anything they lost during colonial period. In spite of the
fact that the Bali were given opportunities by other ethnic
nationalities to make up for by electing and appointing them as
Chairmen of Local Government Councils, Vice-Chairmen
members of the State Assemblies, Directors in States and
Federal Ministries, they could not make up for what they lost
during the colonial period. The people wasted the opportunities
and are now at the mercy of hunger, starvation prevalence of
diseases like HIV/AIDS and Malaria.
A people faced with these myriad of problems are bound to
be indolent and reserved. This make the people to become like a
mud fish always eating its tail during dry season when it is
severed from water and food.
Thus, a man from Bali will prefer to vote a non-Bali into the
elected position than to vote for his brother from Yotti, Dem and
so on. Those who are interested in the backwardness and lack of
progress of the Bali people have always use this disunity among
the Bali for their own advantage. No one among the Bali seems
to understand this dangerous trend.
Worse still, respect for elders in the Bali society has since
become a thing of the past. Instead, indiscipline among the
youths is the order of the day. There is no doubt that the society
is seriously dislocated socially. Perhaps, we need another set of
Danish missionaries or missionaries from Israel or elsewhere to
assist these youth to locate their bearings in the scheme of
things in Bali society. But that is a wishful thinking. We must
wake up ourselves.
BALI TOMORROW
In spite of the fact that Bali society is at the cross road of
total decay and collapse, this situation can be reversed for the
better in the years ahead. The Bali leaders should as a matter of
urgency adopt what we may call “grave-yard” strategy in tackling
their socially political and economic problems.
The grave-yard strategy entails giving the sense of direction
and purpose through the provision of basic social amenities. This
will take the form of portable water supply, electricity, network of
roads, fertilizer, functional educational system, especially
vocational education. This will then call for intensive lobbying of
the stakeholders in the education industry, economic sector and
political endeavour. The Bali personalities both in Tagombali,
Kwafara, Yotti, Bomni and Bali etc should put their contacts and
diplomacy to play in order to secure some share of states
(Adamawa and Taraba) and Federal Government facilities for the
entire Bali society. The personalities that are better placed to do
this job include politicians, academics, soldiers, polite, seasoned
Bali administrators, religious dignitaries and women folk.
But meeting the basic needs of the people in terms of water
supply, good roads, schools etc is not enough. The people,
especially the youths should be empowered politically
and economically. As regards to economic empowerment, one
would advocate for “Bali economic summit.” It is during the
summit that economic problems facing the Bali nation will be
discussed. This summit should be followed by education summit
where the issue of vocational and technical education will feature
prominently. This forum will also discuss the ways and means
through which Bali culture will be reviewed.
The destiny and future of Bali society lies in the hands of
its citizens. The Bali society will be for better if we discourage
disunity among ourselves. “United we stand, divided we fall,”
says on English adage.
In conclusion, we have seen how Bali as a people started
their journey in Nigeria, the intrigues and hussles they passed
and are still passing through. In the process of their journey into
the Nigerian troubled waters, they have acquired a lot of
experiences whether bad or good, the Bali society will be for the
better in the years to come if they take their destiny and future
into their own heads.

By Isaac Pamni
+234 807 9590 523, 805 8468 918, 806 5085 350
pamni_pee@yahoo.com, pamnibali@googlemail.com
Reference:
a) Keynote Address Delivered by J. P. Dada (NHSN) during Maya first
Anniversary Celebration In Abuja, on 10th November, 2007.
b) Earnest, Engskor (1983). Adamawa Province: Reflections and
Gongola State London: Rooting Publicly Company.
c) Bali Oral Tradition and Custom.
d) Personal Interviewed of some elderly persons in the community.
[1]Earnest,
Engskor (1983). Adamawa Province : Reflections and Gongola State London :
Rooting Publicly Company. P. 179.

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