Faskari: History
Though many myths and legends relate to the emergence of Faskari, it is accepted that its origin came from famous Arab migrants Gido and Wari transient from Alkalawa (Gobir) to Zaria who came and settled among the Mafaskara (meaning the firewood choppers, people who were then into pagan practices). The town of Faskari possibly dates back to 1778. It was later built into a more civilized community by one of the descendants of Kaura Kuren Gumaru, during the reign of Muhammed Bello, the Emir of Katsina from 1844 to 1886.
Faskari became a Local Government Area in May 1989, carved out of Funtua Local Government Area. The area is located in the south-west of Katsina state, with Faskari town as the headquarters, it is bounded by Funtua LGA to the east, chafe or tsafe LGA Zamfara State to the west, Birnin Gwari, Kaduna State at the north and Sabuwa LGA to the south.
The local government area comprises two District areas, Faskari and Mairuwa Districts, along with many village areas.
In the early stage of settlement in the area, the rulers came across hurdles, hardships, battles and raid for slave capture and consequently they survived all due to the existence of great worries at the early age who excelled in battle field and thus it pave way to the formation of smaller formidable kingdoms which later on developed into villages and towns, among these places where Bilbis, Yarmalamai, Tsafe, Sauri, Zagami, Ruwan Godiya, Tafoki, Daudawa, Nasarawa, Yankara, Fankama, Maigora, Mechika, Sabon Layi, Birnin Kogo and Faskari. All these were settlement that later on developed into what they are currently.
In essence, feeling of safety and security encouraged people to migrate to the area under the leadership of two smaller kingdoms which the history of Faskari could not be complete without them, particularly in their great contributions, strategies and diplomacy during the period, the two settlements were that of Birnin Kogo and that of Faskari long before the coming of the European colonialists. These two settlements were under the territorial control of Katsina from time immemorial precisely under the supervision of Galadanci. The leadership of Birnin Kogo were Barebari, while that of Faskari were of Gobir origin. At the early stage the two settlements were separate entities, neighbouring one another on territorial lands. It was at a later period that they were merged and formed a District for convenience and smooth running administratively to Katsina Central.
Initially the Faskari ruling class were first approached and pin-pointed for the District head (during the reign of Faskari Abu and Kogo Ummaru) but later on they declined the offer in favour of “Kogawa” as a result of chain of intermarriages between the Barebari and the Gobirawa. After that arrangement Faskari became the headquarters of the district area.
Birnin Kogo was founded by Wanke Dan Jatau in 1848 during the reign of Sarkin Katsina Muhammed Bello. Among the notable rulers of Kogo Kingdom were Kogo Muhammadu Yamaman, Kogo Ali, Kogo Umar, Kogo Musa II, Kogo Abdu and Kogo Ibrahim. The death of Kogo Ibrahim and ascension of a new ruling family of the fulani brought about the change of the District head's title to Sarkin Yamma in 1975.
The first to be appointed with the new title was Sarkin Yamma Alhaji Sa'idu (grand father of the present District Head). Before his appointment as the Sarkin Yamma he was the Village Head of Maigora. The current Sarkin Yamma, Eng. …