Sallah: How Gombe emir thrilled residents with durbar

Residents of Gombe, capital of Gombe State, were treated to a grand and colourful durbar by the Emir of Gombe, Alhaji Abubakar Shehu Abubakar III, to celebrate the Eid el-Kabir.

Alhaji Abubakar III treated his guests, well-wishers and residents of Gombe with the durbar, demonstrating the rich cultural heritage of Gombe Emirate and showcasing the prevailing peace and peaceful coexistence among the diverse residents of the state.

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In the entourage of about 2,000 horses, Emir Abubakar III rode on a white horse and his entourage; council members, princes, district heads, traditional title holders, warriors and archers rode on the others, with courtiers, praise-singers and acrobats accompanying them.

Clad in a white attire and a white alkyabba, the emir left his palace at about 9:30am to take part in the two raka’at Eid prayer on Tuesday morning at the Eid ground near the Gombe Main Market and residents of the metropolis lined up to catch a glimpse of him.

Governor Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya led dignitaries, including Senator Muhammad Danjuma Goje, Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Ali Pantami, a former Minister of the FCT, Dr Aliyu Modibbo Umar, Speaker of the House of Assembly, Muhammad Abubakar Luggerewo, and members of both federal and state legislatures, among others, to observe the Eid prayers with the emir.

After the prayer, the emir on horseback, led district heads and traditional title holders amid cheers and gun salute through Herwagana and Biu roads and back to the palace, venue of the grand durbar.

At the palace, the emir received Governor Yahaya and other dignitaries before treating them with the colourful durbar.

As tradition demands, as soon as the emir arrived his palace, the durbar commenced where the district heads and other traditional title holders on horsebacks paid their allegiance to him while demonstrating their horse riding skills.

In his message to mark the Eid, Emir Abubakar III called for sustained prayers for the nation and its leaders.

He equally enjoined farmers to brace up for the rainy season, just as he emphasised the need for harmonious relationship among the diverse people of the state, and in particular between farmers and herders.

He commended Governor Yahaya’s leadership style and his unprecedented achievements in all facets of human endeavours within the last two years.

North East Trust further reports that during a second durbar called Hawan Daushe or Hawan Gidan Gwamnati, the emir on horseback led district heads and traditional title holders from his palace to the Government House, where the governor and members of his cabinet received him and his entourage.

Usually, the Sallah durbar ends with the Hawan Gidan Gwamnati, but since he was enthroned as emir, Abubakar III introduced a third durbar tagged: Hawan Tudun Wada, for him to see his subjects in other parts of the town.