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History and Origin of Bajju People

The document summarizes the history and origin of the Bajju people based on oral history traditions. It states that the Bajju people migrated from Bauchi State to Plateau State, settling with other groups known as the Dangi people due to shared culture and language. Two brothers, Zampara and Wai, later left this group, with Wai establishing the Chawai people and Zampara settling in Hurbuang and fathering Baranzan and Akat. Akat established the Atakat people. Baranzan later moved the Kajju people, the early name of the Bajju, to their current location by a riverside called Duccuu Cheng in the early

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Gabriel Ibanga Asianudo
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3K views3 pages

History and Origin of Bajju People

The document summarizes the history and origin of the Bajju people based on oral history traditions. It states that the Bajju people migrated from Bauchi State to Plateau State, settling with other groups known as the Dangi people due to shared culture and language. Two brothers, Zampara and Wai, later left this group, with Wai establishing the Chawai people and Zampara settling in Hurbuang and fathering Baranzan and Akat. Akat established the Atakat people. Baranzan later moved the Kajju people, the early name of the Bajju, to their current location by a riverside called Duccuu Cheng in the early

Uploaded by

Gabriel Ibanga Asianudo
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

HISTORY AND ORIGIN OF BAJJU PEOPLE

By
COMRADE PHILEMON ADAMU
A Paper Presented at Nuhu Bamalli Polytechnic, Zaria
At The
Baranzan Students’ Day on 21st May 2023
Introduction

The Bajju are an ethnic group found in the Northern region of Nigeria. They are
found in the Southern part of Kaduna State in Zangon Kataf Local Government
Area. “Jju” is the native name of the language to Bajju people while the more
commonly known name “Kaje” is a pejorative name used to refer to both
(meaning the land of Bajju people as well). The Bajju people are predominantly
farmers, hunters and petty traders.

The Bajju paramount leader is Agwam Bajju. The current leader is His Royal
Highness the Agwam Bajju Mallam Nuhu Bature.

According to oral history, the origin of the Bajju can be traced as far as Bauchi
State where a group of people live in hills caves and had watchers atop the hill
to watch for enemies. These people were called Mutanen Duwatsu (literal
translation in English is the Stone People). It was believed that their migration
was for the search of better grounds. They migrated from Bauchi State to
Plateau State (of Nigeria) and settled on a hill called Huruang. The hill was
already occupied by a tribe called the Jarawa, but the Jarawa people left and
lived on another hill called Tsok-Kwon.

The Jarawa were a faction of a larger tribe called Miango. The Bajju, Miango,
and Jarawa tribes collectively called themselves Dangi (meaning those of same
stock). Because they share cultural and linguistic similarities.

Two brothers named Zampara and Wai were said to have left Dangi settlement
and migrated south of the Plateau. The Chawai people are the descendants of
Wai. Wai settled at a place and named it Chawai. Considering that the
forefathers of both the Bajju and Chawai people had family ties made both
nations affiliated.
1
Zampara migrated further and settled at Hurbuang, which is now called Ungwan
Tabo. Zampara gave birth to two sons, Baranzan and Akat. When Zampara,
their father died, Akat left his elder brother Baranzan and stayed near the hill.
He did so and became the ancestor of the Atakat people. That was how the
Atakat tribe got associated with the Bajju. It was because of this close
relationship that the Atakat and Bajju people made it a tradition and a religious
law never to intermarry.

However, some stubborn Bajju and Atakat people intermarried, and this caused
the widespread death of 1970, Gaiya (2013). The Gado of Bajju, along with his
people, meet with the Gado of Atakat, along with his people to discuss the crisis
of frequent deaths of people of both tribes as a result of the intermarriages.

They reached a decision to abolish the law religiously and traditionally so that
there would not by any consequence for the intermarriage; that was how the
Atakat and Bajju people began to intermarry freely.

The previously mentioned Baranzan (son of Zampara and brothers of Akat left
Hurbuang and cleared a place by a riverside called Duccuu Cheng. He settled
the Kajju there (Kajju was the initial name of the Bajju). The name Kajju was
derived from the name which Baranzan gave the new settlement which was
Kazzu.

Although it is unclear from oral history when the migration occurred, but
evidence suggests that the Bajju were in their current location since the early
1800’s, Gaiya (2013).

Source: Arewa House, ABU, Kaduna. INERNET,

Resources: I E E Okafor, Sociological Implications of Communal and Ethno-


Religious Clashes in New Democratic Nigeria Stud. Tribes Tribal 5(1) 2007
[Link] (Accessed 1/11/11).

2
Ahuwan Iliya (2002). Migration of Koje (Bajju) people to Kaduna. (Hand
Written)

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