The history of Gombe local Government Area cannot be completed without having a flash back of the administrative System adopted by the federalist, since before the introduction of the formal administrative proceeding by the colonial masters immediately after the amalgamation of the Northern and Southern protectorate sometimes in 1914.
The introduction of regional system administrative pave way of Gombe to becoming divisional headquarters of the present day, Gombe state, with the creation of twelve (12) states in 1967; Gombe served as the centre where a number of multi-national cooperation were situated in addition to location of the central medical stores for the benefit of Gombe, Adamawa, Bauchi and Sardauna province that comprises the former North-Eastern State Government with its capital at Maiduguri.
The creation of additional state in the year 1996 and the transformation of local Government system of administration from the former local Authorities to the local Government Areas following the Dasuki Local Government Reforms, Gombe continue to maintain its status as the Zonal headquarters and commercial nerve centre of the default Bauchi state and the present days (Gombe State.)
Gombe Local Government Area is in the Savannah region and bordered in the north by Kwami Local Government Area, Yamaltu Deba Local Government to the East and Akko Local Government Area to the South- West. Gombe Local Government has a land of labour six hundred (600) square kilometres and highly populated particularly now that it serves a dual role of Local Government Headquarters and a Capital base of Gombe State.
LAND AREA
Gombe is a city in northern Nigeria and Local Government Area, it is the capital city of Gombe and has land area of 600Km2 (square Kilometers ) with the capital city in Gombe that coordinates 10 17N, 11 10E, 110 283N, 11 167E.
CLIMATE
Gombe like other parts of the country experienced with
some type of climate in Sahel Savannah as the Vegetation of the Area rainy season, starts from May to October, dry season start from October to May.Hottest months start from March to April, while the coldest months are December to January.
POPULATION
The current population census of 1999 shows that Gombe Local Government has Two Hundred and Eighty-Thousand, One Hundred and Eighty- nine people (283,189) out of which Hundred and Fifty Thousand Five Hundred and Forty-one (150,541) are males while one Hundred and Thirty-two Thousand, Six Hundred and Forty-eight are females (132,648).
PEOPLE/ CULTURE
Gombe Local Government Area consist of different ethnic
groups, principals among the indigenous ethnic groups are; Fulani, Kanuri, Tera, Bolewa and Hausa, while others are settlers that were attracted by either the commercial potentialities of the area or those in search of education, among whom are the Yoruba, Igbo, Babur, Karekare, Waja,Tangale, TIV, Ibra, Angas, Jukun, Idoma and many others.
There is a Senior District Head for Administrative convenience in Gombe Local Government District, the equilvalent of village heads and Ward Heads of Dawaki – Ajiya -Bajoga – Shamaki -Kumbiya/Kumbiya- Herwagana – Nassarawo- Pantami – Bolari – Jekadafari- jalo Waziri and Malam Inna- Kagarawal.
Gombe Local Government Area consist of different ethnic
The creation of additional state in the year 1996 and the transformation of local Government system of administration from the former local Authorities to the local Government Areas following the Dasuki Local Government Reforms, Gombe continue to maintain its status as the Zonal headquarters and commercial nerve centre of the default Bauchi state and the present days ( Gombe State.)
During the reign of Emir Zailani (1882–1888) a religious zealot, Mallam Jibril Gaini, established himself at Burmi on the border between Gombe and Fika. Gaini managed to hold out for years against the combined forces of Gombe and neighboring emirates, and was finally defeated and exiled by the British Royal Niger Company in 1902. The British conquered Gombe at the battle of Tongo in 1902. They moved the capital of Gombe to Nafada in 1913, and moved the capital again in 1919 to the present Gombe town. Waja was separated from Gombe in 1930 to become an independent District. However, the Waja headmen chose Sarkin Yaki of Gombe, brother of the former Emir Umaru dan Muhammadu, as their chief.
The British had set up the Gombe Native Authority system, which continued to function after independence in 1960. In 1976, the military regime of Olusegun Obasanjo broke up the Native Authority into the Gombe, Akko and Dukku Local Government Areas. In 2002, Gombe State Governor Abubakar Habu Hashidu broke up Gombe Emirate into parts, ruled by 2nd Class Emirs and two Senior District Heads. The following year Governor Mohammed Danjuma Goje created two additional Senior District Heads. This has reduced the authority of the Emir at a time of increasing conflict between farmers and nomadic Udawa herders, compounded by violence from extremist religious groups.
Rulers of Gombe Emirate:
| Start | End | Ruler |
|---|---|---|
| 1804 | 1841 | Abubakar “Buba Yero” dan Usman Subande (b. c.1762 – d. 1841) |
| 1841 | 1844 | Sulaymanu dan Abubakar (d. 1844) |
| 1844 | 1882 | Muhammadu Kwairanga dan Abi Bakar (d. 1882) |
| 1882 | 1888 | Abd al-Qadiri Zaylani dan Muhammadu (d. 1888) |
| 1888 | 1895 | Hasan dan Muhammadu (d. 1895) |
| 1895 | 1898 | Tukur dan Muhammadu (d. 1898) |
| 1898 | 1898 | Jalo dan Muhammadu |
| 1898 | 1922 | Umaru dan Muhammadu (d. 1922) |
| 1922 | 1935 | Haruna dan Umaru (d. 1935) |
| January 1936 | January 1984 | Abu Bakar dan Umaru (b. 1902) |
| January 1984 | May 27, 2014 | Shehu Usman Abubakar |
| June 2014 | Present | Abubakar Shehu Abubakar III (b. 1977) |
