Migration of the Bassa Speaking People of Nigeria

History of Migration

Of The Bassa People

There are various accounts as to the origin of the Bassa. While written records and oral traditions are akin on some of the accounts, there are areas that the latter is silent about. Some written records have it that someBassa claim that they originated from Egypt. This Egyptain origin is based on the fact that the Egyptians and the Bassa have similar and common traditions of burying their dead bodies sumptuously with the belief that when a person dies, he countinus to live in the world beyond. The precious things he is being buried with are therefore meant to be used in the next world which separates the physical body from the soul.

Another claim is that the Bassa were once inhabitants of East African, from where they came, maybe as a result of internecine national/ethnic wars. This is linked to the singular fact that Bassa women and the women of some East Africans have the same tradition of carrying loads on their shoulder.

Oral traditions have it also that the Bassa descended from the Fulani Bororo. It is said that from a very careful observation, one would see that the Bassa culture is similar to that of the Fulani/Hausa. In support of this, it is often asserted that the name “Bassa” originated from the occupational interaction of the Bassa with their Hausa/Fulani counterparts. Llike the Fulani, the Bassa were said to have owned a lot of cattle, but ate up or sold all of them and opted for farming. In telling the Fulanis why they did so, they said in Hausa, “Ba sa’a – meaning that cattle rearing was not rewarding to them. They thus earned the language name “Bassa”. Another myth on the name “’Bassa” has it that, actually the original name of the people is Bassa, this is said to have been coined from the word BA SA HUN? (Meaning-won’t you buy?).

As said earlier, the Bassa, like the Fulani, reared and sold cattle, they therefore asked both customers and passersby, “BS SA HUN? – (won’t you buy?). Eventually, people gave them the name BASSA (The people that say BA SA HUN?).

The unanswered question however is, what were the people called before they purportedly ate or sold all their cattle and called opted for farming? These accounts have however tried to explain another angle to the history of the Bassa to the fact that they originated from the HAUSA/Fulani zone of Northhern Nigeria:

“The Bassa tribe are probably indigenous to that country to the south of Zaria, now known as Kwongwoma, whence they have extended to the neighbouring territories of Katsina and Zamfaraa, ….they claim to be indigenous to the Gumna neighbourhood”.

As if to concur this, W.B.Baikie (1966) in his book Narrative of an Exploring Voyage up the Rivers Kwora and Benue in 1854 inferred that:

“specifically, the Bassa are said to have come originally from a town near Zaria, named gabi”

It is saids that to remember this origin, the Bassa sing to their ancestors:

Ga omu ‘wi ta nu zarenya,s

Serechi mata.

Ga ada ‘wi ta nu zarenya

Serechi maza.

Translated

Mother died far away in Zaria,

Qeen of women.

Father died far away in Zaria,

King of men.

Temple argues further that the exodus of the Bassa started from: Gumna

“some went north via Kamberi and Dawakin Bassa, to the Zamfara towns of Bangudu; Gedda and kotorkoshi… others settled in Kotangora province, some having migrated there direct while others sojourned for a while at Bugu, Nassarawa Province.”

Gumna was an indigenous and independent Bassa district in Niger State of Nigeria, which suffered series attacks and subjugation under kotangora ethnic forces. E.G.M Dupigny, Esq. in his compilation titled Gazetteers of Nupe Province, State that:

“Gumna belongs to Bassa, suffered severely from kotangora and fell under Kotangora.”

Gumna was under Zaria in pre-jihad days.

In the old Habe days, about 100 A.D., a large number of the Bassa migrated to the former Nassarawa province, the present day Keffi, Nassarawa and Toto Local Government Areas of Plateau State, Nigeria.

By Wabare Paul

The Bassa Speaking People of Nigeria