Historical Injustice Since ’67 Must Be Corrected, Amana State Movt Demands at Senate Hearing

By Emmanuel Kwada

The Amana State Movement, a prominent advocacy group from Nigeria’s Northeast region, has passionately appealed to the Senate Committee on Constitutional Amendment to create Amana State, to be carved out of parts of Adamawa State and the Uba Chiefdom of Borno State.

The group’s demand, presented during a public hearing in Maiduguri, is rooted in what they describe as a “historical injustice” meted out to the region since Nigeria’s first state creation exercise in 1967.

The movement insists that the creation of Amana State is not merely a request but a necessary correction of a broken promise made by the Nigerian government over six decades ago.

The 1961 Plebiscite The Amana State Movement’s case hinges on historical grievances dating back to February 11, 1961, when the area, then part of the Northern Cameroons, voted in a United Nations-supervised plebiscite to join Nigeria rather than Cameroon.

These promises were not kept,” Alhaji Sali Bello declared during the Senate hearing

According to the group’s leader, His Highness Alhaji Sali Bello Dan Amar Mubi, the late Sardauna of Sokoto, Sir Ahmadu Bello, and other Nigerian representatives welcomed the region with two solemn pledges: that it would remain a distinct entity, either as a province or state, within the Nigerian federation, and that Mubi, the region’s principal city, would be treated on par with other major state capitals such as Kano, Katsina, and Ilorin.

“These promises were not kept,” Alhaji Sali Bello declared during the Senate hearing. “Since 1967, when Nigeria created its first 12 states, our area has been relegated from a promised distinct entity to a mere local council, suffering neglect and marginalization. We are here not to beg but to demand the correction of this historical injustice.”

We are here not to beg but to demand the correction of this historical injustice

The group argues that the Nigerian state’s failure to honor these commitments represents a breach of trust, undermining the region’s political and economic status.

Ahmad I. Sajoh, the Director of Media and Publicity for the Amana State Movement, emphasized in a press release that the agitation for Amana State is driven by a desire to restore the region’s promised recognition and address decades of deprivation.

“The Nigerian nation cajoled us into joining in 1961, only to reduce us from a status comparable to Lagos to a subordinate entity,” Sajoh stated, referencing the region’s significant landmass of 4,088 square kilometers, which surpasses that of Lagos and other states.

The Amana State Movement’s campaign is not a recent development. The group has been advocating for statehood since May 1967, when General Yakubu Gowon’s military government divided Nigeria into 12 states, leaving the Mubi region without the promised distinct status. Since then, the movement has submitted requests for state creation during every subsequent state creation exercise, including under various military regimes and democratic administrations.

The group has been advocating for statehood since May 1967, when General Yakubu Gowon’s military government divided Nigeria into 12 states, leaving the Mubi region without the promised distinct status

The movement’s persistence was evident at the Maiduguri hearing, attended by prominent Northeast leaders, including Borno State’s Deputy Governor Usman Kadafur (representing the governor), former Senate President Ahmad Lawan, Senator Abdul Ningi of Bauchi, and the Shehu of Borno, among others.

The Amana State Movement was joined by other advocacy groups from the region, who similarly called for the creation of Savannah State from Borno, Katagum State from Bauchi, and Muri State from Taraba, reflecting a broader regional push for equitable representation.

In their presentation, the Amana State Movement argued that the proposed Amana State meets all constitutional and practical requirements for state creation, including sufficient population, landmass, economic potential, and sustainability.

Mubi, the proposed capital, is a significant economic hub in the Northeast, with a history of commercial and cultural importance. The region’s diverse ethnic groups, including the Kilba, Mafa, Marghi, Sukur and Fulani, contribute to its vibrant socio-economic fabric, with agriculture (cotton, maize, yam, and rice) and cattle rearing as key economic drivers.

Mubi, the proposed capital, is a significant economic hub in the Northeast, with a history of commercial and cultural importance

Alhaji Sali Bello urged the Senate to act decisively, stating, “The current National Assembly has the opportunity to write its name in gold by correcting this gross historical injustice. May you be the instrument God will use to restore our dignity.”

The elder statesman’s emotive appeal underscored the movement’s belief that the creation of Amana State is not just a political necessity but a moral imperative.

The Amana State Movement’s demand is part of a larger conversation about Nigeria’s federal structure. Since independence in 1960, Nigeria has evolved from four regions to 36 states, with the Federal Capital Territory of Abuja.

The initial division into 12 states in 1967, under General Gowon, was partly an attempt to weaken regional power bases, particularly in the Eastern Region, which led to the secession of Biafra and the Nigerian Civil War (1967–1970). Subsequent state creations in 1976, 1987, 1991, and 1996 aimed to address ethnic and regional imbalances, but groups like the Amana State Movement argue that certain areas, including theirs, remain marginalized.

The public hearing in Maiduguri marks a critical moment for the Amana State Movement and other Northeast groups advocating for statehood.