The procession of warriors

My favorite part of any durbar festival is this, the procession of warriors. A lot of people witness the durbar and only enjoy the visual spectacle, but they do not understand the significance of it all. Everything that happens at the durbar, happens for a reason. We have read so much about ancient warfare, seen many movies, but right here at the durbar ground is the closest you’ll ever come to experiencing that atmosphere of ancient battle. And God! It is daunting. These men are warriors, and they have come to salute the king. There’s so much to learn from their entrance, and even their dressing. Their numbers alone will have you shook, then the bows, the arrows, the smell of gunpowder, the smoke, the dust that escorts them. All of these would intimidate and disorient any enemy. They arrive in an ominous cloud of their own making. Their attires have black in them, so when they march in close formation and in such large numbers, they cast a shadow, the place all of a sudden, looks eerily dark. Add the thunderous sounds of the Dane guns, and the recipe is complete. These are the men who rode, and marched to defend kingdoms and to fight for territory. There are only about a thousand men in these photos, and look how strong an entrance they make. In the days of queen Amina of Zazzau, they used to be hundreds of thousands of them. Now imagine what it must have looked like, when they marched against an enemy. No wonder she won so many battles. If na you, you go stand?

Uploaded on 24 October 2025.