Usman Zaki


Usman Zaki Dan Dendo was the first person to become Etsu Nupe's traditional ruler and first ruling house name of Nupe Kingdom.

History

Usman Zaki was the first son of Islamic preacher Malam Dendo, a Fulani man from Gwandu who was sent from Sokoto to introduce Islam to the Nupe Kingdom. The name Usman Zaki is renowned for being the first ruling household of Bida Emirates. He was the first emir in Bida to become Etsu Nupe. He introduced the title Etsu Nupe during his second term as emir in 1856, defeating his rival Malam Umar Bahaushe, a Fulani man. The title was proclaimed during the civil war of Nupe in 1847, which lasted until 1856.
Usman Zaki's reign as "Etsu Nupe" was very short-lived. He reigned for less than four years.
During his reign, he resided at the military camp in the Bini area. It was during his reign that the city was renamed and made the capital. Later on, Professor Leo Frobenius still rated the city the greatest in the Central Sudan area.
Etsu Usman died in 1859 and was succeeded by Ma'a Saba the Second's ruling household, reigning for four years. This was followed by the reign of Majigi the Third's ruling household from 1884 until his death in 1895.