24/12/2025
UMAR MUHAMMAD (DANBILYATO/GWAMNAN SOKOTO)
Umaru Mohammed jami’in soja ne kuma shugaba a Najeriya, wanda aikinsa na hidimar ƙasa ya kasance a ɗaya daga cikin muhimman lokutan sauyi bayan samun ’yancin kai. An haife shi a Hadejia, a jihar Jigawa ta yau, inda ya shiga Rundunar Sojin Najeriya ya kuma tashi a mukamai har ya zama sananne a tsakanin takwarorinsa a matsayin jami’i mai jajircewa, ladabi, da ƙwazo wajen aiki. Daga ƙarshe ya kai matsayin Birgediya Janar, wanda ya sanya shi cikin manyan shugabannin soja na lokacinsa.
A watan Yulin 1975, bayan sauyin gwamnati da ya kawo Janar Murtala Mohammed kan mulki, an naɗa Umaru Mohammed a matsayin Gwamnan Jihar Arewa maso Yamma (North Western State).
Wannan naɗin ya zo ne a lokacin da Najeriya ke fuskantar muhimman gyare-gyaren siyasa da mulki bayan shekaru na mulkin soja mai tsauri. A matsayinsa na gwamna, ya jagoranci babbar jiha mai faɗin fili wadda ta haɗa yawancin yankunan arewa maso yammacin Najeriya na yau, yana kula da harkokin mulki da tsaro a ƙarƙashin tsarin soja.
Babban sauyi ya faru a lokacin mulkinsa a watan Fabrairun 1976, lokacin da gwamnatin tarayya ta ƙirƙiri sabbin jihohi domin kusantar da mulki ga jama’a. Jihar Arewa maso Yamma ta kasu zuwa Jihar Neja da Jihar Sokoto. An ci gaba da rike Umaru Mohammed a matsayin gwamnan farko na Jihar Sokoto, inda ya yi aiki har zuwa Yulin 1978. Rawar da ya taka a wannan lokaci ta kasance mai matuƙar muhimmanci, domin ya taimaka wajen kafa tubalan tsarin mulkin sabuwar jiha, ya kula da gina hukumomin gwamnati, tare da tabbatar da zaman lafiya da kwanciyar hankali a lokacin da ƙasar ke fuskantar rashin tabbas.
Lokacin mulkinsa ya yi daidai da manyan abubuwan tarihi na ƙasa. Kisan Janar Murtala Mohammed a watan Fabrairun 1976 ya girgiza Najeriya tare da kawo Janar Olusegun Obasanjo kan mulki, wanda ya ci gaba da shirin miƙa mulki zuwa farar hula. Kamar sauran gwamnonin soja na wancan lokaci, Umaru Mohammed ya yi aiki a tsarin da ke jaddada ladabi, haɗin kan ƙasa, da shirye-shiryen komawa mulkin dimokiraɗiyya. Gwamnatinsa a Sokoto ta kasance wani ɓangare na ƙoƙarin ƙasa baki ɗaya na daidaita al’amura da sake fasalin tsarin tarayya.
Bayan barin ofis, Umaru Mohammed ya ci gaba da kasancewa cikin harkokin soja da na diflomasiyya. Sai dai rayuwarsa ta zo ƙarshe cikin mummunan haɗari a ranar 26 ga Mayu, 1980, lokacin da ya rasu a hatsarin jirgin sama na Sojin Sama na Najeriya (Fokker F27) yayin wata tafiya ta diflomasiyya zuwa São Tomé da Príncipe. Ya yi tafiyar ne a madadin abokin aikinsa na kusa, Ibrahim Babangida, wanda a lokacin aka amince masa da tafiya Amurka domin ƙarin horo. Hatsarin ya hallaka dukkan fasinjojin jirgin, lamarin da ya jawo baƙin ciki mai yawa a cikin rundunar soji da ma ƙasa baki ɗaya.
Ana tunawa da Umaru Mohammed a matsayin ɗaya daga cikin shugabannin soja na wancan ƙarni da s**a ɗauki nauyin jagorantar Najeriya a wani muhimmin lokaci na gina ƙasa. Tarihin aikinsa yana nuna ƙalubalen shugabanci a zamanin gyare-gyare, rashin tabbas, da sake gina ƙasa, kuma gudummawarsa ta kasance a cikin tarihin farko na Jihar Sokoto da kuma tafiyar Najeriya gaba ɗaya zuwa tsarin mulki mai ɗorewa.
