Kebbi Tauri Dancers Make a Living from Cutting Their Bodies with Knives and Cutlasses for Entertainment

They don’t fear cutlasses, knives or anything related to iron. Their bodies can’t be penetrated by iron particles. They are the descendants of Warriors from Argungu Emirate of Kebbi State.

History had it that before the advent of Fulani Jihadist led by Shehu Usman Dan-Fodio and British Colonial Masters, all the well-known warriors in old ‘Kabi Kingdom’ were known to have possession of ‘magani’ (local medicine), that is, supernatural power that could resist swords, arrows and any other irons thrown against them in the front war. Their unique power, endeared them to be among the foot soldiers of the defunct ‘Kabi Kingdom’.

However, they might have died and been buried, but their descendants, who are not war mongers, possessed the secret of the supernatural power, are using the inherited ‘magani’, for entertainment to earn their daily meals.

Tauri dancers group, as it was gathered, were formed by the well-known children of the warriors within Argungu Emirate. They were said to be from families of these warriors, who are from different villages such as Gulma, Tiggi, Zazzagawa, among others villages, where the old warriors resided.

Since there is no war, the trusted great-grandchildren of the warriors, having confidence in themselves and their supernatural power, teamed up as group, moving from one town to another, from one State to nearby Countries to entertain Royal Highnesses, Governors, Presidents and other important personalities in the societies.

With big drums called ‘Duma’, knives, cutlasses and red attires, they were given a name called ‘Tauri’, which literarily means, a group of dancers displaying knives, cutlasses to entertain the audience. The main man, with ‘pot belly’, and few others are always at the front to displays their skills before the people while drummers, led by Mai-Duma are at standby to beat the Duma drums which were used at the war front in ancient period, to ignite their spiritual power.

A leader of the group, Alhaji Haruna Mai-Duma was sighted at a program and agreed to reveal their success story to this Reporter.

Mai-Duma, who has been with Tauri dancers group for the past 42 years, explained that members of the group were carefully selected, recruited from the families, compound of well-known Warriors in few villages of within Argungu Emirate.

Carefully selected questions that he responded to, Mai-Duma said: “we formed this group with the selected individuals that have the supernatural medicine inherited from their ancestors, which would not allow any dangerous weapons made of iron to penetrate or enter our body. It could be swords, arrows, cutlasses or knives. These items I listed could not enter our bodies.”

“Members of this group are from well-known compounds of past warriors of Argungu Emirate. They are from different families from villages like Tiggi, Zazzagawa, Gulma who must have possessed the power from their ancestors, Great-Grand fathers. We all known that in Africa, our ancestors usually pass certain things to their successors such as inheritance like lands, farms, houses that could include supernatural power like ours. We inherited this power from our ancestors.”

“Like me, I have been in this group for the past 42-43 years. I am from Gulma Town in Argungu Emirate of Kebbi State. This is our job now, where we are getting our daily means to take of our children, our families. We have been entertaining different people in Nigeria and nearby countries like Niger Republic and Benin Republic, respectively. We have been going to Sokoto, Niger and other States in Nigeria. We have been to many national festivals and events across Nigeria to entertain important personalities.”

While speaking on the risks involved in their anointed job, Mai-Duma, who is the number one drummer of the group, insisted that they have not recorded any casualty among his group members, and stressed that only those who were passerby, who thought they possessed the power, eventually it’s failed them when emulating them with displaying of cutlasses and knives on their bodies, got cut by the iron.

According to him, “since we have been together, none of us had suffered any cut, injuries. Once we are coming out from our various houses, we do ‘pray to Almighty God’, to protect us. That’s all. We also asked our people, relatives to be praying for us. So, we don’t have any fear at all. Only those people who were not properly fortified by their ancestors suffer cuts in public when they are displaying with knives and cutlasses in public. And they are not part of us, Tauri group of Argungu. So, we in Tauri group, God Almighty is our strength.”

Recounting their blessings, Mai- Duma said, the group had been able to secure six cars from different Kebbi State Governors at different occasions while many of them had gone to Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj.

He said: “All of us in this group have performed Hajj. We are meeting up with our daily needs. We have wives, children and many of us have given out our daughters in marriages. We have built houses and our blessings still continue insha Allah. This is real African culture, our tradition and we too will pass it to our children for continuities.”

However, an indigene of Gulma Town, Mallam Muhammad Jamilu Gulma, told this Reporter in a telephone interview that many of them inherited such supernatural power from their fathers, great-grand fathers in the processes of following them to farming or hunting exercises.

According to him, ” as you know that in this part of the country, many of us are farmers and hunters at the same time. So, anytime we follow our fathers to farm or hunting with them, they usually show us certain types of leaves, trees back that could be used for local medicine such of that one that could resisted penetration of irons on our bodies. The knowledge has been given to our fathers from their great-grand fathers who were warriors and hunters in the old era of the pre-colonial masters. During the wars in those days, we have some warriors who were specialized on different strategies of war. Some possessed power to turn rivers to blood, some could have turned road paths to thick forest to prevent enemies from gaining entrance to the city. Those warriors who are foot soldier possessed the medicine that would not allow errors, swords, cutlasses to cut them. This Tauri dancers group are the descendants of these warriors I’m talking about.”

“Some of these medicine could be swallow like a garri powder, bathing with it or rubbing it on your body. You can only find these practice among the descendants of old warriors in different communities in Argungu Emirate. This doesn’t turn them to be pagan or unbelievers. We are Muslims and we are praying our prayers every day, observing all the principles of Islam. Like you know, many of these Tauri dancers have gone to Saudi Arabia to perform their Hajji. So, this is our culture, this is our tradition and we are proud of it as people of Argungu Emirate of Kebbi State”, he said.

While speaking about culture recently, Kebbi State Governor, Dr. Nasir Idris, represented by the Commissioner for Information and Culture, Alhaji Yakubu Ahmed Birnin Kebbi, noted that the present administration placed premium on development of culture for social cohesion, unity and economic growth.

He spoke at the first Unity Cultural Festival, organized by the Ministry of Information and Culture, held at Birnin Kebbi stadium where different tribes were invited to displays their cultures and tradition.

“Governor Kauran Gwandu has placed premium on developing culture for social cohesion, unity and economic growth. This is demonstrated by his support to the Ministry of Information and Culture to stage the first cultural festival of unity in the state by assembling people of diverse cultural heritage to mingle with one another and showcase peculiar cultural talents”, the Commissioner announced.

“The incumbent government of Comrade Nasir Idris is people-orientated administration, it shall continue to employ cultural diversity for unity and peaceful coexistence”, Yakubu emphasized.

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By Ola Lawal