Katsina state, that includes Daura Emirate and Karadua or Funtua as popularly known is known for its myths that are widely used in various social settings across the entire world. 

We shall be featuring these historic events and the morals derived from them. Some of them have been forgotten while others have been published severally in books which could now not be found on bookstore shelves. 

The history of suicide killing.

History reveals that it happened in Katsina during the reign of a very oppressive king who was very brutal on his subjects. There was a time he introduced a new principle that he would he would stop riding on horse to the usual evening outing, called Kilisa, which he used to go in the outskirt of the city. Usually when he went out he inspects the level of seasonal performance in the farms with the rainfall. He usually returns to the city at sunset or a little after. 

The king suddenly decided that he would not ride on horse to the outskirt of the city but on humans. He therefore instructed that a very strong man be found that will carry him on his back during the evening outing. 

The people of the city were outraged with the way the King was behaving. It became the talk of the city then, wherever a group of people are seen they would be found to be discussing the outrageous behavior of the king. The king was feared by all then and no one could approach him on the matter because of how oppressive he was. The people lived under these suppressive behavior of the king. 

Who soever the king rides on became an object of mockery in the city.  Most of those he rode on left the city to avoid the usual mockery and never returned and nothing is ever heard of them again. Some of them that were lucky to be informed that the king would ride on them escaped the city in the night to avoid the humiliation. 

One day the king selected a strong youth called Abdu, popularly known as ‘Bakin Wake’. He was a very strong person and highly invigorated. 

Abdu Bakin Wake was with other youths at the park having some good time when a messenger came from the palace to inform him that the king was going to ride on him the next day for the usual Kilisa. He instructed to prepare himself and make himself available and that he should be at the king’s palace by noon the next day. 

Audu Bakin Wake them promised that it would be the last time the king would do that thing to anybody again and history will surely record the end of his reign.

Abdu Kuna Bakin Wake went on a personal inspection of the rout usually taken by the king until he got to a particular place called Marnar Gangare where they used to dye clothing then. He inspected the place where they set fire for dying cloths which was close to his residence. In fact it is said that it dying cloths was their family business. He observed with keen interest what his plans were. 

He assembled all the workers at the place making them believe that he was going to do some dying of clothes. Some of them were already mocking him because the king was going to ride on him for Kilisa the next day. Little did anyone knew of his plans. 

In the morning of the day he was going to submit himself for riding by the king he went round to bid all his relations goodbye and sort their forgiveness. People thought he was doing that because after the king might have ridden on him, he would be forced to migrate from the city. By exactly noon he was at the king’s palace as he was instructed. 

By evening, the king came out and rode on Abdu for Kilisa. Abdu was praying that the king does not change the route he had earlier inspected for the evening Kilisa. 

The king climbed and rode him towards the Marinar Gangare Abdu had inspected the previous day. People came out from nukes and cranny of the city to hail the king as usual. 

When they got closer to the Marinar Gangare, he held the king very tight on him and sped off and jumped into the burn fire used for dying of clothes with the king on his back.  Both the king and Abdu Kuna Bakin Wake got burnt to ashes in the fire. 

From that time on things returned to normal in Katsina. It is from this incident that the act of suicide killing got its name in Hausa as ‘Kunar Bakin Wake’.