Garlands for Justice Bage, the 17th Emir of Lafia

By Tukura Matthew

How time flies! On March 26, 2019 – seven years ago – Justice of the Supreme Court, Sidi Bage, emerged as the 17th Emir of Lafia Emirate, following the demise of HRH Isa Mustapha Agwai I on January 10, 2019.

The kingmakers selected him – a born prince and a successful law officer – as the 17th Emir to mount the throne of his forefathers.

A good start to his job as Emir: upon ascension to the throne, Justice Bage said, “We are one. We must unite to develop the emirate, and I pledge to be just in my dealings with all.” This speech from the Emir is one of the qualities of a good leader, as he promised “to be fair to all,” irrespective of tribe, religion, or political affiliation.

Now that Emir Bage is on the throne, he should look back at history and the chronological ascension to the throne of Lafia Emirate, as well as the footprints of past royal fathers’ contributions, and add value to the emirate.

For the record, some of the emirs who have ruled Lafia Emirate, according to Alhaji Yakubu’s presentation at the celebration of the Kenem Borno Millennium and Yerwa Centenary (12th–16th November 2007), include: Musa Dandaji (1809–1814), Umar (1814–1819), Muhammadu Lamino (1819–1844), Musa Gana (1844–1849), Abdullahi Dallah (1849–1866), Ari Lamino (1866–1868), Umar Dan Dallah (1868–1873), Abdullahi Dallah Bahago (1873–1881), Mohammadu Agwai I (1881–1903), Musa Dan Abdullahi Dallah (1903–1918), Abdullahi Muhammed Agwai I (1918–1926), Muhammadu Angulu (1926–1933), Muhammadu Agwai Bahago (1933–1949), Alhaji Yusuf Musa II (1952–1974), and Alhaji Dr. Isa Mustafa Agwai (1974–2019), the 16th Emir of Lafia, whose accession to the throne was on 28th May 1974.

Justice Bage has taken over the reins of power when Lafia – the capital of the emirate – is both a local government headquarters and a fast-growing city of a state capital. This is the hot seat the Emir of Lafia now occupies for the rest of his life. Luckily enough, the royal father rose through the ranks to the apex court of the land, acquired a great deal of life experience, and is equal to the task.

Taking and lifting Lafia Emirate to the next desired level is a collective leadership responsibility. In achieving this, an egalitarian society must be promoted and defended by the subjects of the emirate and the entire state. Good enough, Emir Bage has continued to preach peace, and to promote and defend the cause of justice – coming from a constituency that frowns on injustice. As a retired Supreme Court Judge, the Emir has a critical role to play in ensuring that things are done rightly.

This turning point in the life of Justice Bage is already yielding positive transformations in Lafia Emirate Council, Nasarawa State, and the traditional administration in Nigeria.

While presenting the staff of office on Friday, May 3rd, 2019, the then governor, Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, said the emergence of the Emir was a welcome development for the people of the emirate, given his track record. Al-Makura noted that his administration had incorporated traditional rulers into the governance of the state, especially in peacebuilding, and said their incorporation had yielded tremendous results.

Almost on a daily basis, many individuals and groups have been visiting the palace to pay homage, pledge loyalty, and pray for God’s wisdom and protection as he carries out his responsibilities as a royal father and Chairman of the Nasarawa State Council of Chiefs.

Seven years on, what is the verdict? Has His Royal Highness kept his word to be fair to all? The answer is not too difficult to provide. Even though humanity is not flawless, the monarch has kept to his word. It is often said that there is no peace without justice, so it is safe to say that the presence of peace is a direct consequence of justice. Throughout the seven years Justice Sidi Bage has been on the throne, Lafia has remained at peace. Every resident of Lafia carries on their lawful activities with so much confidence because they know a just monarch is on the throne. He has shown that he does not only append the title “Justice” to his name, but he embodies the character.

In 2021, the Emir toured all the chiefdoms within his domain. Explaining the purpose of his tour at Barkin Abdullahi (BAD), the royal father said: “One of the reasons for this tour is to see how we can ensure greater peaceful co‑existence among the people of this land. By the grace of God, we have enjoyed peace because since our coming in, there has not been any moment of crisis within the domain. This is not our making but the grace of God Almighty.”

The royal father further said: “Anyone who listened to the speech I delivered when the then Governor, Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, gave us the mantle of leadership, I said we shall endeavor to bring our people together. By the will of God, all of us in this land are brothers and sisters of one another. People often forget that. Even this gathering we are having now, it is impossible to say this someone’s father or mother who is not related to that person or the other. If a father hails from here, you would find the mother hails from there. God does not make a mistake when He makes people from different lineages come together to form a family. This is to tell us about relatedness or affinity. I said at the occasion that we all in this domain must see and relate with ourselves as brothers and sisters. Therefore, we must live together as one. God has not made a mistake by putting us together in this place; this is the destiny He has set for us.”

As the 17th Emir of Lafia, Justice Bage’s reign could not have come at a better time than this. He came at a time when the needs of the populace from their monarch are extending beyond traditional duties. The world is advancing so fast in technology, and Lafia has become so cosmopolitan that it needed someone with vast knowledge and exposure to fit the large shoes left by Alhaji Isa Mustapha Agwai I of blessed memory. Who better to fit those shoes than a retired Justice of the Supreme Court? For the past seven years, he has brought his vast knowledge, experience, and exposure to bear while handling the several issues that have come up.

For example, when the issue of Almajiri became a menace in 2020 and the government of Nasarawa State needed to take drastic measures to save the situation, the government received the total support of the Emir. Being a beneficiary of quality education himself, the Emir has remained a strong voice promoting the need to take children off the streets and into the classrooms so that they can become responsible future leaders.

Justice Bage is not just the Emir of Lafia. He is also the Chairman of the Nasarawa State Traditional Council of Chiefs, and his impact has extended well beyond Lafia, being felt across the whole state. As Chairman of the traditional council, he has led his colleagues into assuming a more active role, especially in the aspect of securing the various communities in the state.

When immediate past President Muhammadu Buhari needed eminent personalities to select those who would receive national honours in 2022, he found the erudite and impartial Justice Bage worthy to chair that committee  a responsibility he successfully discharged. In 2020, Justice Bage was selected among his peers in the country to chair a committee whose sole purpose was to secure a constitutional mandate for traditional rulers to play vital roles in governance, especially concerning security. The report has since been submitted, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, promised to implement the recommendations of the Justice Bage‑led committee. Under the leadership of Justice Bage, the traditional council was enlarged to include all graded chiefs in the state, making it more vibrant and inclusive.

Practice of Tashe and Rangadi: The Emir was able to revive some traditions that were almost forgotten by the people. These traditions include the age‑long Tashe (an activity welcoming or heralding a day like Ramadan; it could also be used to herald Friday) and Rangadi (the practice where the Emir takes time in a year to go round his territory to meet the people, interact with them, and receive feedback). These events, reintroduced by the Emir, are important for peace and security as well as for effective administration of the emirate, as they bring people together in the spirit of celebration.

Appointment of new members of the Emirate Council: To ensure effective administration of the Lafia Emirate Council, the Emir upgraded some members of the council to higher positions and appointed new members to ensure quality representation, inclusivity, and contributions to the development of Lafia Emirate and Nasarawa State.

Establishment of a state‑of‑the‑art museum: Justice Bage established a state‑of‑the‑art museum for public education, research, and reference purposes within his palace. The museum is named: HRH Alhaji (Dr) Abubakar Ibn Umar Garbai Al‑Amin Elkanemi Palace Museum.

Justice Suleiman Galadima OFR, CFR, a retired Supreme Court Judge who knows Justice Bage very well, gives more insights in what he titled: From the Cradle and Education.

His Royal Highness Hon. Justice Sidi Bage Mohammad I, CFR, JSC (retired) was born in Lafia, Nasarawa State, on June 22, 1956. His early primary school education began at Dunama Primary School, Lafia, from 1963 to 1969. From 1970 to 1974, he completed his secondary school at Government Secondary School, Lafia (now Government Science Secondary School). He proceeded to the prestigious Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, in 1975 and graduated in 1980 with a law degree. He then went to the Nigerian Law School, Lagos, in 1980 and was called to the Bar in 1981. As providence would have it, on March 26, 2019, Justice Bage emerged as the 17th Emir of Lafia Emirate. This followed the demise of the 16th Emir of Lafia, HRH (Dr.) Isa Mustapha Agwai I, on January 10, 2019.

For his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), he served as Legal Officer at the Ground Training Group, Nigerian Air Force Base, Kaduna, from 1981 to 1982. Hon. Justice Bage started his working career as a Magistrate Grade II with the Plateau State Judiciary in 1982. In 1984, he was promoted to Magistrate Grade I, and to Senior Magistrate II in 1986. In 1989, he became Chief Magistrate Grade II in the FCT, Abuja, when he sought transfer from the Plateau State Judiciary. In 1990, he became Chief Magistrate I. He was promoted to Deputy Chief Registrar and elevated to the High Court of the FCT as a Judge on November 9, 1992. On December 10, 2007, he was elevated to the Court of Appeal as a Justice of that Court. Hon. Justice Bage’s chequered judicial career saw him reach the apex court as the 87th Justice of that Court after 59 years of its existence, thereby succeeding Hon. Justice Suleiman Galadima JSC (Rtd) OFR, CFR, who served as the 84th Justice of the apex court and served for six years.

Hon. Justice Bage served as Chairman of the Robbery and Firearms Tribunal for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) from 1996 to 1999. From 1999 to 2007, he also served as Chairman of various Election Petition Tribunals in several states of the Federation: Kano (March 2023), Abia State (July–August 2005), Gombe State (2006), and Oyo State (16th May 2007). He was appointed Chairman of the Committee on the Establishment of the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Centre for the FCT, Abuja. Nasarawa State Governor Alhaji Abdullahi A. Sule appointed him Chairman of the Reconciliation and Rehabilitation of Displaced Persons (IDPs) from Toto Local Government. Upon his ascension to the throne of Emir of Lafia, he was honoured as Chairman of the National Merit Awards Committee by former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2022. This was followed by another recognition as a member of the National Judicial Council in the same year.

It is also noteworthy to say that the good works of Hon. Justice Bage have been highly appreciated by the Federal Government, which named the Federal Secretariat Complex in Lafia in his honour.

It will be recalled that during the 5th anniversary of the Emir in 2024, the Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence Alhaji (Dr.) Sa’ad Abubakar, said in a special tribute: “If you want to know how good someone is in life, look at his friends and associates. The quality of attendance of the occasion from all parts of the country, including the international community, is the reward for hard work, honesty, and humility which the celebrant is well known for.”

In 1989, Hon. Justice Bage attended the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, Lagos. He also attended the Chartered Institute of Mediators course in London, United Kingdom, in 1992. Hon. Justice Bage also attended the Nigerian Institute of Chartered Arbitrators course in 1993. Over the years, Hon. Justice Bage has attended several courses and seminars, both locally and internationally.

HRH Hon. Justice Bage is a dedicated and highly accomplished legal professional with extensive experience in the judiciary. Armed with a proven track record of excellence in adjudication and legal analysis, Hon. Justice Bage has, over the years, demonstrated a high level of ability and capacity to uphold the principles of justice, fairness, and the rule of law. He is skilled at managing complex legal cases and providing impartial judgments. He is blessed with the capability and leverages his expertise and leadership skills in prominent legal roles. His leading landmark decisions in the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court are dotted throughout various Nigerian Law Reports. Hon. Justice Bage is a known strong advocate of diverse tongues, beliefs, and cultures living together as brothers and sisters. Indeed, Hon. Justice Bage has made a tremendous impact not only on Nigeria’s judicial system but also on many Nigerians.