The Intellectual History of Boko Haram Movement in Katsina, 2000-20101

Abdullahi R. Baba-Bala
Department of History & Strategic Studies
bababala@fudutsinma.edu.ng
&
Abubakar Lawal
Department of Political Science
Federal University Dutsin-Ma
Katsina State

Introduction

The first decade of the 21st Century was a turning point in the (Islamic) intellectual history of
Katsina. The intellectual landscape expanded in scope and richness prior to the 21st century but
carried with it an overlap of a dynamic that produced radical tendencies. Within the decade,
Katsina witnessed the emergence of extreme religious tendencies similar to Boko Haram’s. This
happened at the time Boko Haram idea was reigning supreme in the North eastern states of
Nigeria (especially Borno and Yobe states) and was spreading fast across other parts of Northern
Nigeria thereby posing a serious national security threat. Some Katsina youths got in contact
with the idea and later joined the Boko Haram movement. Thus, the kind of momentum the idea
garnered in Katsina at the time, it was thought that Katsina would be the second home for Boko
Haram insurgents. Interestingly, it did not happen. Like foam, the idea rose high briefly, but
collapsed before it properly germinated with the socio-economic condition of the state. This is
what makes the incident of Boko Haram movement in Katsina different from the general study
of the movement in Nigeria. Different factors had played role in tackling the idea in Katsina, but
the intellectual factor’s is more profound. However, scholars and public intellectuals have not
given attention to the general history of the movement in Katsina, let alone the intellectual aspect
of it.2 This paper therefore studies the intellectual history of the movement in Katsina by looking
at the formation of the group of youths who embraced the idea, the conception of the idea, the

1Published in Lapai Journal of Humanities, vol. 11, no. 5, December 2020, pp. 282—297
2Here are some of the major works conducted on the subject matter: A. Kassim and M. Nwankpa (eds.), The Boko
Haram Reader: From Nigerian Preachers to the Islamic State, New York, Oxford University Press, 2018. M. Smith,
Boko Haram: Inside Nigeria’s Unholy War, London, I.B Taurus, 2015. A. Thurston, Boko Haram: The History of an
African Jihadist Movement, Princeton, University Press, 2018.
major centres of Boko Haram activities, how the idea was propagated, how it was being
intellectually tackled, and the reaction of the general public to the upsurge of the idea. Primary
and secondary sources are used in reconstructing the history.

Keywords: Katsina, Intellectual History, Boko Haram

Towards the End of the 20th Century

Some 1970s’ developments dramatically changed the religious intellectual texture in Katsina.3
The dominant Islamic religious sect prior to this time is the Darika Order.4 Izala movement came
afterwards with its claim to strict adherence to the teachings of Quran and Sunna, the tradition of
the Prophet Muhammad. 5 According to this belief, all religious practices not derived from the
Quran and the traditions of the prophet are null and void. The Shia came with its new form of
belief, the doctrine of twelve Imama. 6 Another sect that is commonly referred to as Quraniyyun,
recognises only the Quran and nothing else. Some of these developments were inspired by
happenings in the Middle East. This is why ideas and books on different Islamic sciences that
were hitherto not available in the public domain found their ways to Katsina and became
common.7The dominant school of jurisprudence from which immense knowledge of religious
practice is derived is the Maliki school of jurisprudence, but with Izala emerging on the scene,
the other three schools, namely Shafi’i, Hambali and Hanafi were also considered. Henceforth,
every Islamic ruling is subject to rigorous evaluation from all the available sources. Therefore,
thirst for books and knowledge on diverse knowledge increased. Private libraries sprang up as
every mosque has a section dedicated for basic Islamic books.8 Islamic bookshops emerged in

3 A.T. Wada, “A History of Islamic Education and Scholarship in Katsina, 1975-2015”, M.A Dissertation, Department
of History, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, 2018
4 There were two dominate Darika Orders in Katsina at the time, Kadiriya and Tijaniya. For more information see I.

A. Tsiga and A. Adamu (eds) Islam and the History of Learning in Katsina, Ibadan, Spectrum Books Limited, 1997
5 Peace be upon him
6 They are Ali ibn Abu Talib, Hasan ibn Ali, Husein ibn Ali, Muhammad ibn Ali, Ja’far ibn Muhammad, Musa ibn

Ja’far, Ali ibn Musa, seen as divinely guided leaders and are the holiest of people in Islam , Wikipedia.com
7 Book on Quran exegeses included Tafseer ibn Khasir, Adwa’ul Bayan, Fathul Kadeer, Tafsir Quaran Azeem. On

Hadith, there are books like, Bulugul Maram, Umdatul Hakam, Silsilatul Ahadithis Sahiha. Books on Arabic are,
Kadarul Nadah, Nawahul Wadi, Sarf among other books. On Monotheism the popular book is Fatahul Majid. An
Oral Interview with Malam Yakubu Musa, the leader of Izala, Layout Katsina, May 2009
8 There is a private library at Izala Mosque, Kofar Kaura. Close to the place, there is Rahusa Islamic Library in the

Rahusa Building. There is also Al-haram Library near Goriba Road Juma’at Mosque
Katsina.9 These sources of new ideas on religious practice and social conducts such as marriage,
naming ceremony, women rights and funeral rites among other issues, became common thus
provoked polemical debates in the public space; something not before this time a tradition of the
Katsina intellectual endeavours.10 The debates are mostly on the question of akida (monotheism).

Up to the year 2000, books, mostly relating to monotheism, were widely read and studied in
schools and mosques. The commonly studied book on monotheism at the time is Fatahul Majid
by Muhammad Ibn Abdulwahab. Two things incidentally happened; on one hand, books of
Akida are believed to be technical; they would therefore require one to be a well-grounded
scholar to be able to interpret them. 11 Testing this claim, some sources observed that in most
places where this book was studied, the class had to be abandoned before completing the book,
perhaps because of its technicality. This difficulty in interpretation led to the uproar of declaring
many religious acts as constituting unbelief. On the other hand, it is noted that the Katsina
intellectual scene was at the time replete with emotions and sectarian enthusiasm than in-depth
knowledge. The scene at the time would have rather needed deeper intellectual immersion.

For this, the youths became emotionally charged thus began to interpret public actions literally
thereby finding fault in the way people, especially the Sunni followers, practice Islam. The
problem rose from the fact that they learn religious texts by themselves, which is against the
tradition of Islamic learning. 12

The Formative Stage of Boko Haram Idea

The formative stage of the idea in Katsina has three dimensions. One is the role of Abu
Hammam, second is the rise of Ahmed Filin-samji, and third is, the emergence of Abubakar
Habibu group.

9 There are many Islamic bookshops or Islamic books selling spots. At almost all the popular Friday Mosques in
Katsina, there is at least one Islamic bookshop and books sold in the streets around the mosques. Meanwhile, in
major markets, there is a section for Islamic books. The popular Islamic bookshop in Katsina is Rumbun Hatsi,
Tsohuwar Tasha Katsina
10 See I.A. Tsiga and A. Adamu (ed), Islam and History of Learning in Katsina...
11 Ahmed Suleiman, a Labour Union Associate and Islamic Teacher, Kofar Marusa, 40 years, oral interview, 7th

December 2019
12 It is a tradition in Islamic scholarship for a scholar to have during his/her career build-up studied under several

teachers who mentored him/her. The respect a scholar commands depends on the number, quality and moral
standing of his/her teachers. In fact, in this tradition, even a well grounded scholar sees himself or herself as
student
Abu Hammam was a Saudi Arabian national or a Tukari,13 a term used to refer to black Africans
who migrated and lived in Saudi Arabia for enough period of time to make them citizens of the
country. He had also been to many countries in the Middle East, especially the war-zones where
he participated as a warrior on the side of the Mujahidun.14 Having participated in the United
States-Afghanistan war and was for that reason said to have direct contact with Usama bin Ladan,
he was trained in guerilla war and could therefore handle weapons and improvise local explosive
devices. Around the year 2001, after the September 11 (2001) World Trade Centre attack in the
United States, he was deported to Nigeria and because of his religious appearance and
antecedents; he was accommodated at Riyadhul Qur’an Islamiyya School in Katsina. 15

Coincidently, Abu Hammam came to Katsina when Middle East crisis was viewed by the
general public especially among the Izala followers as one between Islam and the United States.
United States was according to this belief being islamaphobic and for that reason, Usama bin
Laden was understood to be championing an Islamic cause. He and other fighters became heroes
in the eyes of the public. People named their new born babies after him in appreciation of his
struggle. Kofar Kaura Mosque, the foremost Izala Mosque in Katsina, was renamed after an
Afghanistan city, Kandahar. During the time, a lot of Friday sermons and preaching were
conducted about the situation in Afghanistan. People were, in a nut-shell, as a result of this
development, developed emotional attachment with the happenings in the Middle East. This
enumerated how people viewed the fight in Afghanistan and other parts of the Middle East. In
addition, this development happened when Izala resented major social vices in Katsina such as
alcohol drinking, adultery and so on.16

This development made youths to admire the courage of the Middle East fighters and more so,
wish to be like them. In the meantime, Abu Hammam would gather them around to tell them
about his experiences in the Middle East. Both Ahmed Usman and Abubakar Habibu used to
visit him and in due course hold private talks with him about the possibility of initiating same
movement in Katsina. Abu Hammam declined the proposal ostensibly for fear of repatriation to
Saudi Arabia where he was declared wanted by the country’s security authorities. Lastly, Abu

13 He was a biracial according to Malam Ahmed Suleiman, while Malam Ahmed Filin Samji sees Abu Hammam as an
African-Saudi who is from any of the Sub-Saharan African country but he was not originally Nigerian
14 Ahmed Suleiman…
15 Malam Ahmed Filin-samji, Islamic scholar and lecturer, Katsina, oral interview, 20th January, 2019
16 Luna Hotel and other social clubs where beer is sold were attacked in the early 2000s
Hammam was invited by Muhammad Yusuf to Maiduguri to train Boko Haram members’ on the
techniques of guerilla war and improvising of explosive devices.

Though no specific link could be established with Muhammad Yusuf’s Boko Haram, it was
around this time that Katsina witnessed a rise of a youth group which professed a new tendency
that contradicted the traditional Islamic practice in the city. This group was led by Ahmed
Usman.17 He was a young and eloquent student of knowledge. After graduating from secondary
school, he proceeded to Isah Kaita College of Education Dutsin-Ma where he involved himself
in the affairs of the Muslim Students’ Society in the College. There, he initiated a debate around
jurisprudential ruling on masbuq. 18 According to him, anybody who missed a part of an
obligatory prayer behind Imam did not have to complete it thereafter. He relied on a hadith in
Sahih Bukhari to make his points.19

Meanwhile, in Katsina, he continued observing prayer the same way at Labaran Zaira mosque,
Yaradua and Masallacin Justice, Saulawa. People found his position on the ruling obnoxious.
Because Ahmed is believed to be intelligent with strong power of persuasion, he convinced
many and cast doubts in the minds of those who were yet to fully grasp the rudiment of his
teaching. That was how he formed his group. The group mostly consisted of his friends who
could not be identified as students of knowledge. He took them to some outskirt parts of the
metropolis for physical training. 20

Meanwhile, he believed that people should be allowed to pray with their footwear on. He also
said that democracy and civil service were according to ideal Islamic teaching strictly prohibited.
Ahmed was being challenged intellectually by fellow young scholars. When he was rebuked on
these issues by scholars, he became more radical; dismissing people who the society regarded as

17 Ahmad Usman was born in Rimin Badawa, Tudun Wada, Katsina town in 1982. He attended Kayalwa Primary
School Katsina and Government College Katsina between 1994 and 2000. He thereafter got admission to study at
Isah Kaita College of Education Dutsin-Ma. He was said to have memorized the Quran and many hadiths. He had a
handful of students. His best and closest students who learned Quran from him did not join his movement. Malam
Abdulrahman Yar’Adua, Administrative Staff, Yar’Adua University Katsina is his closest students but did not join
him. Ahmed trusted Yar’adua such that when he became aggressive towards people, he maintained cordial
relationship with him
18 A person who misses some parts of an obligatory prayer behind an Imam. The person is expected to complete

the part he/she has missed after the Imam completes the prayer
19 Sahih Bukhari, Pp. 580. It can also be found in Sahih Fiqhu Sunnah, Babu Masa’ilu ta ta al laki bi mawakitis

Sarah, Volume 1, Pp. 252

20 Areas like Dajin Gwamna, Kayauki and Shinkafi
sound students of knowledge as ignorant. Curving his own notch, his group withdrew from
public life and resented the mosques that refuted their claims. They were contemplating on
migrating to a quiet place where they could propagate their ideas and practice Islam according to
their understanding without any challenge. 21 At first, they created a temporary mosque at Filin
Polo, an outskirt location in Katsina, and appointed Malam Idris to serve as their Imam. Having
demonstrated this tendency, they were viewed to be inclining to an ideology prevalent in the
Middle East’s terrorist organisations, Hijra Wattakfir.22 Hence, they were being referred to as
Jama'atu Hijra Wattakfir within the Sunni circle.

The second group was directly linked to Muhammad Yusuf’s Boko Haram. Idris Abukur, a
cobbler,23 was the originator of the idea in Katsina but the group was led by Abubakar Habibu of
Sokoto Rima. Abubakar was chosen for his determination and tenacity. 24 At different points,
they individually were developing the tendency. They began to network even before having any
contact with Muhammad Yusuf. In 2002, Abubakar Habibu, a first class student of Electrical
Engineering from Hassan Usman Katsina Polytechnic and a couple of his friends were strong
members of the Muslim Students’ Society of Hassan Usman Katsina Polytechnic, Katsina and
would always present extreme stands for which they clash with the Students’ Affairs Division of
the school. Afterwards, in town, they attended late evening classes of some scholars who would
digress and criticise democracy or argue that people should not acquire much western education
without accompanying it with Islamic knowledge. In these classes, Abubakar Habibu would
challenge the scholars on Islamic ruling about democracy and western education. This is how
they got acquainted with one another and began to build network in order to form an intellectual
base for their ideology which basis was that western education and democracy are prohibited

21 Malam Mukhtar Kofar Soro, Islamic scholar and lecturer, Hassan Usman Katsina Polytechnic, Katsina, oral

interview, Katsina, 26th May 2019

22 Is an ideology born out of the belief that a people or place is sinful and by that seizes to be Islamic/Muslim;

therefore migrating to a quiet place is obligatory. The thought was derived from chapter 4, verse 97 of the Holy
Quran and other related verses and an Hadith that features at the opening chapters of most Hadith books;
Innamal A’amalu bin niyyati...(end of the hadith talks about migration to a safer place where religious practice
could be conducted without hindrance)
23 Idris Abukur is a cobbler at GRA, Club Road near Muntari Mai-Kiosk. Muntari was also a member of the group,

but denounced the movement later

24 Abubakar Habibu who is in his late 20s at the time, was a first class student of Electrical Engineering at Hassan

Usman Katsina Polytechnic

and that the society is due for reform. It was at this point that they met Ahmed’s group and they
merged to fight a common cause.

Consolidating their networking base, they converged every day on the Usman bin Affan Mosque
Shaiskawa after Ishaa (late evening prayer) prayers for meeting. At first, people thought they
were gathering for musaffa (tutorial), but when the meeting became regular with no sign of
intellectual engagement in it to give credence to the people’s impression, the community became
suspicious of them. The management, having had to contend with Ahmed’s tendencies earlier,
requested them to stop.25

Searching for a capable leadership which would lead the movement to success became their new
preoccupation. For this reason, they consulted all the scholars they thought would accept but
succeeded in having none to follow them. The scholars, after rejecting the offer, admonished
them to focus on seeking for knowledge and in the process imbibe the most important etiquette
of learning, patience. Nevertheless, the search for leadership continued beyond Katsina state and
that was how they got contact with Muhammad Yusuf. Muhammad Ikirama, one of their
members who would be frequenting Northeast for a reason yet unclear, established the link. 26
Henceforth, they got audio recordings of Muhammad Yusuf’s preaching and found his teaching
to correlate with their ideology. Receiving audio recordings containing Muhammad Yusuf’s
lectures from Maiduguri further radicalised them. They accused Islamic scholars, especially
prominent ones like Sheikh Jafar Adam as living beside the truth. They served some scholars
especially those who earlier rejected their idea and preached against them with warning letters;
threatening to kill them. Ikirama narrated to some scholars how prepared the group was to wage
war as they had gathered large amount of weapons in the surrounding bushes since 2003.27

Worthy of note here is the fact that most of the youths were either holders of higher education
certificates or had just graduated from secondary school. They all abandoned their certificates,

25 Malam Abubakar Shaiskawa, the chief Imam of the Usman bin Affan Mosques Shaiskawa, oral interview, Katsina,
30th January, 2019
26 Ahmed Suleiman…
27 Those threatened included Malam Mukhtar Kofar Soro, Malam Harith, the Imam of Kofar Kaura Mosque, Malam

Abdulrahim Sabiu Rafindadi, Malam Ahmed Filin Samji, Sheikh Yakubu Musa, the Chairman of Izala Group in
Katsina, Malam Khalid Ayuba, the Chief Imam of Kerau Juma’at Mosque. Moreover, Ikirama also confessed while
threatening one of the scholars that they have seized weapons from Police and Army and that they have killed
some. The weapons were hidden in bushes, although he did not reveal exactly where the weapons are kept.
and some even went ahead to destroy them, as in the case of Abubakar Habibu. This is an
indication of their conviction and high level of commitment to the cause they fight for. For them,
the Muslim North was due for a profound Islamic reform. Therefore, they outlined three ways to
achieving that: to kill some scholars whom they labeled as venal scholars, attack security
formations, and bring down the secular state and in its place raise an Islamic Caliphate. 28 The
coming of Muhammad Yusuf to Katsina injected new energy within the circle but on the other
hand made the Izala scholars and their students to be serious about fighting the idea.

The Textual Sources and Ideological Formulation

The basis for their extreme tendencies was the social condition in the society. This is why they
were nursing the idea before having contact with Muhammad Yusuf’s Boko Haram. They
believed that the society was drifting into moral bankruptcy in terms of free intermingling
between opposite sexes in educational institutions, workplaces and in open spaces. There were
also wide spread political, official and religious corruptions. 29 According to them, the major
causes of this decay are western education, democracy and civil service. The only solution
therefore is to impose Islamic sharia on the society.30 Since solution could be found in Islam,
they would have to find supporting reasons in the Islamic textual sources to establish their
position.

Boko Haram members in Katsina were believed to be very intelligent and committed in seeking
knowledge. Majority of them had either committed the whole Quran or greater part of it to mind.
They had also attempted to do same on some major books like Bukhari, Muslim, Majmu’ul
Fatawa and Kitabu Tauhid. It was made possible because they learnt some amount of Arabic
language to enable them to read Arabic texts freehand. Hence, they embarked on learning the
major Islamic texts on themselves. They extracted and translated some clauses in Quran, Bukhari
and Kitabu Tauhid among other sources.

28 Malam Ahmed Filin Samji...

29 D. Yahaya, “Tackling Corruption in Nigeria”, HST conference, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, 2010. E. I. Omaha,
“The Nigerian State as an Equilibrium of Violence: An Explanation of the Boko Haram Insurgency in Northern
Nigeria, African Journal Online, https://www.ajol.info.com
30 At the time they did not have the patience to learn the texts from established scholars. In the tradition of Islamic

learning, a student must learn under many renowned scholars whose expertise on the subjects was established
In the Quran, they tried to learn some specific verses that suited their understanding. They
understood chapter 5:44 in their won context.31 They cited this verse to indicate the imperative of
establishing Islamic Sharia. They also relied on exegesis of 5:47 by Ibn Kathir32 to argue against
Nigeria’s constitution. However, they also used chapter 4 (Tafsirit Tauhid Wa Shahadatu Al
La’ilaha Ilallah) in Kitabu Tahid to consolidate their position. They usually made copies of these
specific places in the books and distributed.33

When they got contact with Muhammad Yusuf’s group in Maiduguri, they got video and audio
tapes of preaching and Quran exegeses conducted by Muhammad Yusuf, Abubakar Shekau and
Muhammad Nur. Particularly, they held dear Muhammad Nur’s exegesis of chapter 3 of Quran
and made it a point of reference. Consequently, when their interpretations of theses clauses were
proved wrong in the course of their debates with the moderate scholars, they resorted to internet
sources in order to find further justification for their belief.

On the internet, they found some fatwas 34 issued by some international scholars about some
similar situations. While on the search, they found a book written by a Saudi Arabian scholar,
Bakr Abu Zayd entitled Al madarisul Alamiya Al ajnabiya: Tarikuha Wakhd’uha, and it had
profound influence on them. The book discussed the effect of missionary schools set up by
foreign embassies in Saudi Arabia, on Muslim morality. Boko Haram members in Katsina
therefore found the book to be addressing the same situation as in Northern Nigeria. Another
book that had influence on them is Mirasul Ambiya (The Ideal Ways of the Prophets). It is
principally a rejoinder to Ibn Taimiyya’s justification of civil service. The book was written by a
group of unknown students. Out of these sources they formed the principles of their core belief:

• Rafa’ul Ta’awul: Correcting the misrepresentations of their message.

• Izalatil Shubha: this is about clearing any doubts people have about their ideology.

31 Indeed, We sent down the Torah, in which was guidance and light… And whoever does not judge by what Allah
has revealed- then it is those who are the disbelievers. Sahih International English Translation, Quran for Android,
The King Saud University Electronic Moshaf Project
32 And let the People of the Gospel judge by what Allah has revealed therein. And whoever does not judge by what

Allah has revealed – then it is those who are the defiantly disobedient. Sahih International English Translation…
33 Malam Haruna Sani, Islamic scholar, Oral Interview, Danbedi, 12th March 2020
34 Some aggregate opinions of some scholars on issues which are not clearly addressed in the existing religious

texts
 • Iqamatil hujja: this served as the last warning for those who, after being shown the right
way, had refused to accept the truth. In other words, if a people turned down their call,
they could wage war against them to bring them to the right path.

Katsina was declared an apostate state and the Izala scholars as disbelievers. For this reason a
war can be waged against them because all the three above mentioned protocols had been
observed on them but they refused to surrender.

Counter Intellectual Challenge

From the early stage way up to the fall of the idea, scholars and students of knowledge had not
relented in engaging the Boko Haram group in intense intellectual debates. When Ahmed posed
intellectual challenge on critical Islamic jurisprudential issues, Mukhtar Kofar Soro, a specialist
on the science of Hadith, engaged him in intellectual discussions at Labaran Zaria Mosque,
Yar’Adua. The sessions usually hold at night with many people in attendance. Malam Mukhtar
proceeded, after proving the futility of Ahmed’s ideas during the sessions, to be conducting a
class in the same mosque. Books dealing with the Ahmed’s kind of ideology were studied. Some
of the books studied are Fitinatul Takfir by Muhammad Nasiruddeen Albani. Other books with
the same title by Jamil Zainu and Yusuf Qardawi were also studied.

Furthermore, Abdulrahim Rafindadi wrote a letter inviting the group to a discussion. On 14th
November 2008, the meeting held. On one hand were Malam Zakariyya, Malam Bilyaminu
Kofar Bai, Malam Abdulrahim Rafindadi, Malam Haruna Sani among others, while on the other
hand were Abubakar Habibu, Ahmad Filin-samji, Muhammad Yellow Saulawa, Muhammad
Sani Dutsin-Ma and some of their followers. The meeting took place at Sanawiyya Islamiyya
School, Kofar Kaura Layout, Katsina and the discussion centered on the position of western
education in Islam.35 The meeting was peaceful and another day was fixed to meet and discuss
other issues. But immediately after the first meeting, security agents arrested the Boko Haram
leaders. Furthermore, when Muhammad Shekau visited Katsina, Abdulrashid Dalha,
Shamsudeen Zahabi and Abdulrahim Rafindadi engaged him in intellectual discussion about
western education and democracy. From that time on, students of knowledge went round the
areas where Boko Haram idea was propagated to educate the public. Privately, scholars

35 Malam Zakariya, Imam of Modoji Juma’at Mosque, Oral Interview, Goriba Road, 50 years, March, 2019
persuaded the radical youths to abandon the movement, embrace peace and devote their time for
seeking knowledge on both sides, Islamic and western education. 36 As a result of this, the
movement lost most of its financial and moral supports. This, to an extent, brought the currency
of the idea down in the state.

Muhammad Yusuf visited Katsina three times but the one that had made any critical impact was
his 2008 visit. This visit was interpreted to be just about Ikamatul Hujja; 37having the state’s
based group had failed in its efforts to get one of the prominent scholars to lead the movement
and the intense intellectual challenges against their teaching. Part of his mission in Katsina also,
was to visit some scholars whom he was told could lead the movement in Katsina and the entire
region. Thus, he invited some scholars like Malam Khalid Ayub and Malam Ahmed Filin Samji.
They all turned down the offer and admonished him and his lieutenants to sue for peace for that
is what Islam needed to thrive at the time.

Malam Ahmed Filin-samji engaged Boko Haram members at GRA mosque about their idea on
western education. Thus, Malam Ahmed was scheduled to meet Muhammad Yusuf at Bashir
Maidoya’s residence, Rahamawa. The discussion centered on three major issues: first is western
education, second is about legalising wealth generated by banks, contractors and government,
and the third one was, why Boko Haram considered Sunni as their arch enemies. During the
discussion, Malam Ahmed argued that western education cannot be haram; it is a type of
knowledge worth acquiring for material well-being of the individual who acquired it and
humanity at large. Secondly, Malam Ahmed argued that the wealth of contractors, government
and banks was legal and cannot be taken away by anybody for that contradicted the ideal Islamic
teaching. On the third which was a poser by Malam Ahmed to Muahammad, turned the whole
discussion into a hot debate.38At the end of the meeting, Muhammad accepted his mistakes and
appreciated the manner in which the meeting was conducted and the respect he was accorded.

The establishment of Al-Qalam University Katsina brought many prominent scholars like late
Sheikh Jafar Adam and Dr. Muhammad Sani Umar Rijiyar Lemu to the state. They conducted

36 Bashir Maidoya, Abdulraheed Tela, Aminu Kofar Sauri, Muhammad Kofar Kaura among many others denounced
the movement midway into the crisis. Oral interview with Malam Ahmed Filin Samji...
37 A situation in which an invading troop give a state condition to surrender or risk being conquered
38 Muhammad contended that Ahlus-Sunnah became a stumbling block because their scholars do not criticise

these issues and do not also call for jihad, though he conceded during the meeting and promised to consult widely
preaching in Katsina and taught books at Kofar Kaura Juma'at Mosque among other places.
Malam Sani majorly taught books bordering on akida (monotheism).39 Some of the books are
Al’ubudiya by Ibn Taimiyya, Adda’u Wad Dawa by Ibn Qayyum Al- Jawziyya, Hisnul Muslim
by Sheikh Sa’id bin Ali bin Wahf Al-Qahtani. These scholars, being conscious of the gap that
created the Boko Haram tendencies, chose books that could calm the religious atmosphere in the
state.

More so, when the audio recordings of Sheikh Jafar Adam and Muhammad Auwal Albani Zaria
about Boko Haram ideology and its danger were released and circulated widely, the general
public became more aware about the group and the danger it potent.

Major Centres of Boko Haram Activities

In Katsina, at initial stage they used Sokoto Rima mosque, Uthman bin Affan mosque Shaiskawa
and another one at Kambarawa, near Katsina Airport. They used these places to discuss about
their idea of reform and to search for textual sources to defend their position. This happened
when they were few and before having any contact with Muhammad Yusuf. At this point they
were commonly referred to as “yan hijra”.40 When these mosques stopped them from converging,
they established their own temporary mosque at Filin Polo where they conducted Friday prayers.

Abukur is the second most important centre of Boko Haram activities in Katsina. Abukur is
located about 14 kilometers away from Katsina city. Usman Abu and Nura Lawal were the major
vanguards of the movement in the village. Others who joined them later are Suleiman vet,
Mudassir, Sagir and Sanusi Sidi Mai-hoto. They established strong alliance with their Katsina
disciples, Abubakar Habibu and Ahmad Filin-samji. They propagated the idea through playing
visual Tafsir and other lectures conducted by Muhammad Yusuf and Abubakar Shekau.
Sometimes video tapes of happenings in Afghanistan and Iraq were played. When Muhammad
Yusuf came to Katsina in 2008, he conducted a preaching session at the village’s major market.41

39 Al’ubudiya, a book on monotheism by Ibn Taimiyya, Adda’u Wad Dawa’ by Ibnu Qayyum Al- Jawziyya, Hisnul
Muslim by Sheikh Sa’id bin Ali bin Wahf Al-Qahtani
40 People, who disagreed with the general conducts in their society, thus isolate them from the society in order to

practice Islam in its purest form.

41 Jamilu Abukur, civil servant, 35 years, Oral Interview, Abukur, 20th March, 2020
In Dutsin-Ma Local Government it started at the Isa Kaita College of Education and later it
continued at the residence of Muhammad Sani Dutsin-Ma, one of Ahmed Filin-samji’s friends
back at college. Muhammad Sani together with his friends challenged Dutsin-Ma scholars for a
debate on their belief.42 Danja town was also becoming a centre of Boko Haram activities before
the 2009 Federal government’s clampdown on Boko Haram in Maiduguri. During this time,
most of those who migrated from Katsina to Maiduguri were from these towns.

Dissemination of the Idea

Boko Haram used the instrumentality of open preaching to disseminate the idea in Katsina. They
organized open preaching in some strategic places like Gambarawa, Filin-fives, Sabuwar
Unguwa and Saulawa, near Rex Cinema in Katsina metropolis. 43 Similar preaching was
organized in Abukur when Muhammad Yusuf visited Katsina in 2008. Many people attended,
with majority mistaking it to be a normal street preaching conducted in open spaces by those
referred to as masu wa’azin kasuwa.44 This category of preachers were not being taken seriously.

Another method of spreading the idea is by distributing video and audio recordings containing
preachings of Muhammad Yusuf, Abubakar Shekau and Muhammad Nur. In Abukur, a viewing
centre was set up where video tapes of major Boko Haram leaders’ preachings and Afghanistan
war were played to public. More so, they shared photocopies of some materials containing
relevant facts about their core belief. They did not share these materials to larger audience but
only to those whom they personally invited to their teaching. In addition to this, they used
personal consultation to convince individuals especially puritans to join them.

Public Reaction to Boko Haram Idea

The general public reacted to the rise of the idea in many ways. The first was the reaction by
other Islamic groups in the state especially the Darika orders. Darika scholars especially from
the Tijjaniya Order preached against Boko Haram idea and called on their members to reject any
form of the idea. Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi specifically preached against the idea at Unguwar Yari

42 When the meeting was about to hold, Malam Abdulrahim and others went from Katsina. For their presence, the
Boko Haram members did not allow the meeting to hold.
43 Malam Abudulrahman Yar’Adua, Administrative staff, Yar’Adua University Katsina, Oral interview, Katsina, 2nd

December, 2019
44 They preach in the open and mostly sell traditional medicine at the end of their preaching. People see this kind

of preaching as a form of entertainment

Katsina.45 At another instance, when the group threatened to kill some Izala scholars who they
thought stood in their way, the State Government, security agencies and Emirate Council were
all alerted. The Emirate Council first and foremost summoned the parents of the youths involved
and requested them to call their wards to order. Those who heeded to the warning were obliged
to sign an undertaking.46

In 2009 when the movement was becoming violent, there was a local security initiative. A local
intelligence network was set up to get to the heart of the movement. The operation was carried
out under the supervision of a retired DSS officer. Some youths were employed to work with the
security agents. Their terms of reference included studying the group’s plans, movements and
modus operandi. They penetrated the ranks of Boko Haram insurgents in Katsina. Sensitive
information including secret meetings and letters were collected and that helped the security
agencies tremendously to be up to speed about the group’s movement in Katsina and beyond.
Meanwhile, scholars were always ready to cooperate with the security agencies in times of need.
For this, none of Katsina scholars was assassinated despite verbal and written threats by Boko
Haram members.

However, other factors as well played important roles in dissuading the youths from joining the
Boko Haram group. Those susceptible to accept Boko Haram idea were under the care of their
parents.47 Parents commanded so much respect and had their children under control especially
when the Boko Haram movement became apparent in Katsina.48 This is because from the 1990s’
Shia conflict, parents learned to be conscious of the religious teaching their children align
themselves with.49

Conclusion

45 Muhammad Dahiru Aminu, Unguwar Yari, Oral Interview, Katsina, 10th December 2019
46 Bashir Maidoya is one of those who signed the undertaking
47 Youths who subscribed to Izala ideology were susceptible to accepting the idea but they were mostly under the

care of their parents. Their basic needs such as education, food and healthcare are being taken cared-of by their
parents. Therefore they live under strict guidance of their parents
48 A friend to Malam Ahmed Filin Samji by name Malam Muhammad Sani narrated to him how a woman told him

that she warned her children from attending Malam Ahmed’s classes because he was said to be propagating a
strange ideology. It was at this point that Malam Ahmed got to know about the existence of the group
49 In an oral interview with Shamsu Lawal Gwanda, he recalled how his father called his attention to the danger of

such ideas. The father cited the example of the 1990s Shia incident. The interview was conducted at Saulawa,
Katsina on the 20th December 2019
Boko Haram is perceived to be only a Borno, or in larger context, a North Eastern part of
Nigeria’s affair. As this study indicates, it also affected other parts of the North from its initial
stage. Katsina as one of the Northwest’s states had also experienced the introduction of Boko
Haram idea in its territory. The history of Boko Haram idea in Katsina is of rise and fall. The
youths who harboured the idea and attempted to actualise it were of course from the Izala group,
but it was the Izala that played critical role in tackling the idea. This study focused on the
intellectual aspect of the history of the movement, where it traced the origin of the idea, the
formation of the Boko Haram group in Katsina, the textual sources upon which they relied to
establish their belief, their engagements with the moderate scholars and the public reaction to the
idea. This has brought to the fore the place of Boko Haram movement in the larger intellectual
history of Katsina.