"Traditions Of Origin and Migrations Of Bwatiye People"

The Batta and Bachama people are sub-groups of a single tribe. The Batta were the predominant people of present day Adamawa in the days prior of the Jihad of 1804. Batta or appropriately Bwatiye or Pwatiye, denotes the people of God, or the people from above. Their origin is traced to Asia Minor in the Mesopotamian Peninsular or Nubia at a place called Sin or Zin. These accounts for the presence of Ramo Ngbakowon, the ‘Golden Stool’ with Aramaic or Arabic inscription and Soshope, an ‘S’  shaped princely rod common to Egytian royalty.

                Their migration is traced through Tchad before settling in Gobir. Intermittent conflicts with the local inhabitants notably Maguzuwa and the earlier Jihad of Songhai Empire led to the second wave of migration that brought them to Demsa Pwa in Cameroun. There was a periodic south and western migration and the establishment of towns like Goruwe (Garoua) till the Bwatiye pitched their capital at Gurin under the reign of Nzozumse Atimo.  The migration continued till they reached the vicinity of Demsa Mosu. Here, according to oral tradition, the group split into two following an intrigue by the younger twin Zaro Dembune against his elder twin brother Zaro Kpalame, who occupied the throne. The group which seceded under Zaro Dembune crossed the Benue River at Nzomwadiksa and established the Bachama Kingdom (Dalli, A.L. 1988:9, 66-72). The word Bachama was never meant for a tribe. The seceding twin used it as an expression “Bachama” means ‘Ba’ (I will) and ‘Chama’ (tax or gather) later became synonymous with the settlement, which the headquarters of the Kingdom. The Fulani later referred to this settlement ‘Lamorde’, meaning Capital or Seat of the Ruler (Carnochan, 1967; a: 622).

                The tradition of origin linking the Batta and Bachama to Sokoto or Gobir has generated lots of controversy in the literature. But by way of explanation, one could add here that both the royal families of Demsa and Bachama hold this tradition together with some non-royal clans that accompanied the chieftaincy at the period of the secession. The tradition does not impose itself on all the Batta and Bachama people, nor does it claim that the Batta and Bachama people are homogenous. Most non-royal clans have divergent traditions of origin and how they became associated with the chieftaincy. At any rate, Kabe (non-royal clans) are the custodians of Bachama sacred tradition, as well as of rituals and the chieftaincy. Zomye (royal clans) are eligible to the office of the King. A Bachama King takes charge, upon appointment, of the economic exploitation of the natural environment. The political history of the Bachama Kingdom lends credence to the conquest theory of the state in which an invading group with the chieftaincy assimilated an autochthonous group with the local environmental knowledge. As time went on, the leaders of the Bachama migrations were deified but their priests were drawn from the autochthonous group.

CHRONOLOGY OF BACHAMA KINSHIP

1. HOMUN BITIPARAMO, ZARO DEMBUNE, Matiyavune  І (1704)
2. HOMUN MWAMO GWAMPA NZOKWAKLIKI – IMPANG CLAN
3. HOMUN SUNGANOKADA – WADUKU CLAN
4. HOMUN NZONZO – WADUKU CLAN
5. HOMUN NZOZUMSHI TINGNO – WADUKU CLAN
6. HOMUN NAKONZE – WADUKU CLAN
7. HOMUN NGORON – WADUKU CLAN
8. HOMUN TUMBADI – WADUKU
9. HOMUN NZOBALMATO – WADUKU
10. HOMUN MABURO-TUN-KYANATO – NOKODOMUN CLAN
11. HOMUN BASAKADA  - NOKODOMUN CLAN
12. HOMUN KWAKWUROTO – NOMUPO CLAN
13. HOMUN GAARIYA – MAGBULLARON CLAN
14. HOMUN JIDAU – MAGBULLARON CLAN
15. HOMUN RUGONGTO – NOMUPO CLAN
16. HOMUN NGAMSA – NOKODOMUN CLAN 1853 – 1874
17. HOMUN MANGAWA – KOWO CLAN 1874 - 1891
18. HOMUN NDONGTURONG – NOMUPO CLAN 1891 – 1900
19. HOMUN NZODUMSO – NOKODOMUN CLAN 1900 – 1902
20. HOMUN ZARO Vodo-ƒuƒe – NOKODOMUN CLAN 1902 – 1910
21. HOMUN KPAFRATO, Bolo-Kunghe NOMUPO CLAN 1910 – 1921
22. HOMUN MBI Gorosobwe – NOKODOMUN CLAN 1921 – 1941
23. HOMUN NGBALE Basayofe – KOWO CLAN 1941 – 1967
24. HOMUN JAMAN MUREAGURSUSON – MAGBULLARON CLAN 1968 – 1975
25. HOMUN REV. WILBERFORCE MYAHWEGI Ndwaka-Kunghe, Se-za-Ngbanghe – WADUKU CLAN 1975 – 1994
26. HOMUN FREDDY SODITI BONGO Takude, Matiyavune ǁ - IMPANG CLAN
27. HOMUN ASAPH ZADOK Goro-Ngakye, Kuzo-Vudeto – KOWO 2004 – 2010
28. HRH, HOMUN HONEST IRMIYA STEPHEN 2011 till date.

SOME NOTABLE FESTIVALS IN BACHAMA KINGDOM

Festival	Location	Period	Significance
Kwete	Lamurde	Feb/March	Speech Time for the Hama Bachama and feature wrestling and dancing
Vunon	Farai	April/May	Making Planting Season
Womto	Gyawana	June/July	Preparing young men for hunting
Poto	Bolki/Waduku	November	Wrestling Festival
Pato	Imburu, Numan, Kowon & Opalo		Harvest accompanied with the singing of Songs
Buradou	Lamurde	November	War games
Bandang	Ngbakowo/Bemti	May	Hunting Festival
Vayato	Numan, Imburu, Gyawana & Opalo		Wrestling Festival
Kayasin	Lamurde	April/May	Calling young men to go back to Land
Fise	Bolki	June	Harvest of Kakuto (a species of guinea corn)
Gikan	Kwah	Oct/Nov.	Harvest
Saulawa	Lafiya	Oct/Nov.	Harvest
Cito	Suwa	Nov/Dec.	Harvest
Dikulun	Bollore	October	Harvest
Krenta	Mamsire	November	Harvest
Banzowo	Bare	September	Celebrating farm yield
Ngbavune/ Ngbakada	Gyemen/Salti	April	Feature wrestling