By Frank Meke
Governance requires both mental clarity and spiritual depth. Throughout history, no kingdom has avoided difficult seasons, yet the ones that endured did so through wisdom, humility and deep consultation—both physical and spiritual.
The late Emir of Borgu, Senator (Dr.) Haliru Dantoro, Kitoro III, embodied this rare blend of leadership. He was a prophet-king who relied on God from the moment he ascended the throne of his fathers. Through humility and courage—qualities given only to those who seek divine guidance—he prevailed in many battles and left a legacy that still stands tall in the memory of all who witnessed his reign.
I never grow weary of speaking about this great enigma—a king who faced life like the legendary Saboke, warrior-prince of the Borgu nation, and overcame. His legacies remain monumental, even though some are now being quietly eroded by an emirate council and Borgu local authorities that appear unwilling to honour his memory.
The recent happenings in Borgu land shake me to my core. Since his death nine years ago, the political and socioeconomic map he carefully laid out has been steadily altered. Under his watch, Borgu nation thrived—politically stable, economically grounded, and spiritually guided.
As Senator of the Federal Republic and former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, he served with integrity. He owned no plot of land in Abuja. He confronted corruption, challenged military excesses, and was even incarcerated for daring to speak truth to power. A lover of nature and a visionary, he foresaw the global crisis of climate change long before it became mainstream and championed solutions that birthed Kainji Lake National Park and the College of Wildlife and Fisheries in Borgu land.
These institutions were not political ornaments. They were deliberate shields—meant to protect Borgu nation from the exploitation, deforestation, and ecological ruin that unregulated resource extraction brings.
Borgu is a land of wealth—immense flora and fauna, mineral endowments, and cultural richness. The late Emir mapped these gifts into an economic blueprint meant to empower generations yet unborn. Under him, Borgu became a hub of commerce, tourism, education and diplomacy. He traced his ancestry through Oyo, Parakou in Benin Republic, Kebbi and Borno, and he championed education for every Borgu son and daughter. He secured the presence of IBB University in New Bussa and was working toward establishing a new university when death interrupted his plans.
Yet in the past month, Niger State Governor Mohammed Umar Bago has launched what appears to be a direct assault—whether intentional or not—on the Emir’s legacy.
The governor’s first open strike came via the BBC Hausa Service, where he claimed, falsely, that Kainji Lake National Park (KLNP) had been neglected for over 50 years. Last week, he stepped into Borgu land with a fresh wave of propaganda, proposing the shocking and environmentally catastrophic idea of devegetating the state’s largest protected ecosystem as his answer to insecurity.
Supported by praise-singing elements within the Borgu emirate council and the local government, Governor Bago seems determined to become the first Niger State governor to dismantle the legacies of Dr. Haliru Dantoro—showing neither restraint nor wisdom.
Strangely, both the nation and the world have reacted with uneasy silence. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a political contemporary of the late Emir and holder of the traditional title “Jagaban Borgu,” has instead responded to Nigeria’s insecurity challenges with reason. Unlike Bago, he called for drones and Nigerian Air Force surveillance to flush out insurgents—an environmentally responsible strategy.
In Borno, Governor Zulum supported the military through the JTF and resisted simplistic solutions. Not once did he propose clearing out the Chad Basin National Park, despite its notorious history with insurgents. Edo State’s Senator Monday Okpebholo has also taken a strategic approach, building a strong civilian security network that has consistently flushed criminals out of forest hideouts—without attacking Okomu National Park or any of the state’s natural reserves.
Across Oyo, Bauchi, Cross River and other states blessed with protected natural heritage, no governor has embarked on a reckless war against nature in the name of security.
Governor Bago’s stance, therefore, appears less like a security strategy and more like a vendetta against the late Emir’s vision. There are strong allegations in New Bussa that influential illegal loggers, poachers and foreign mining interests are behind this campaign to weaken Borgu land and strip it of its natural wealth.
The governor should also know that any attempt to tamper with KLNP will face stiff resistance—from the Senate, environmental advocates, international conservation bodies and the global community. Devegetation could trigger severe climate and ecological distress across communities from New Bussa to Shiroro, affecting River Niger, Kebbi, Kwara and the entire fishing economy dependent on those waters.
Is Governor Bago prepared to destroy all 92 forest and game reserves in Niger State? Does he understand the environmental, economic and cultural disaster he is courting?
The fight against insecurity is not a fight against nature. Any war waged against the forests is a war lost before it begins. Niger State must not lead the nation into such reckless conflict.
Criminality is local. Real security requires investment in local intelligence, community-based security frameworks and coordinated support for the military. It demands leadership—not theatrics.
Borgu nation deserves peace. Its people deserve development. And the legacies of the great Emir Haliru Dantoro must be protected, not desecrated.
If Governor Bago and his enablers in the Borgu emirate council and local government authorities wish to challenge the Saboke spirit of the late Emir, I can only wish them luck in a battle they cannot win.
Borgu has never been conquered—not by colonialists, jihadists, or modern political opportunists. This is the lesson Governor Bago and his advisers must urgently learn before they drag Borgu land, and Niger State, into irreversible ruin.
