SUMMARY
The Bwatiye (sometime referred to as Bachama or Batta for reasons touched upon below) is an ethnic group that inhabit northeastern Nigeria’s Adamawa state. More specifically, they are predominantly found in southern Adamawa’s Numan, Demsa and Lamurde Local Government Areas (LGA:s), as well as in central Adamawa’s Girei LGA. There are also Bwatiye people in Cameroon’s North region, which borders Adamawa in Nigeria. The group’s main livelihood is farming and fishing. Historically, hunting was also important, but became less so due to over grazing and desert encroachment.
According to some, the Bwatiye originated from Baghdad, whereas others are less precise, and simply talk of a past in present-day Middle East. Regardless, they then migrated though Egypt, Sudan and Chad and eventually ended up in Sokoto in present-day northwestern Nigeria. Sometime between the 15th and 18th century, they then moved to their present locations in Nigeria and Cameroon.
Up until the 1950s, what is today called the Bwatiye ethnic group was two separate, but closely connected communities: the Bachama and the Bata. The two had a common tradition of origin, according to which they hailed from a pair of twins, who together migrated to Adamawa. However, the twins quarreled and eventually split, with one forming the Bachama ethnic group and the other the Bata. During the 1950s, in the context of the ethnic politics of post-war Nigeria, a process of cultural and political mobilization commenced among the two groups. They began to reinterpret this history of origin; instead of using it to stress that the two groups were indeed separate, it started to be used as a way to emphasize their shared origin. In line with this, the tradition came to be used as a sign of unity, and the term Bwatiye started to be used as a common category for the two. Two decades later, in the 1970s, this went from simply being an idea, to being implemented politically, as Bachama and Bata intellectuals passed a resolution stating that they agreed to call themselves by the name Bwatiye, “the original name of the Bachama/Bata”.
The overarching leader of the Bwatiye people is the king – called Hama Bachama – who is the paramount ruler of the Bwatiye kingdom. The Queen of the Bwatiye kingdom is referred to as Mbamto. The current holders of these positions are King Honest Irmiya Stephen, Kwire Mana Kpafrato II, a retired officer of the Nigerian Army, and Queen Elizabeth Mbayuen Stephen. The royal palace is located in Numan town, the administrative seat of the throne, but there also one in Lamurde, since that is considered the spiritual home of the group.
