What is "kusugu"

Kusugu Well located in Daura

According to Hausa myth, Hausa communities have been living in Central Sudan (much of modern-day Northern Nigeria & some part of Niger) for over 2000 years. Daura was believed to be one of the largest Hausa cities of that time. It has Queens as head of government that over see the affairs of the people. During the reign of Queen Daurama, the major source of water for Daura was Kusugu well. But people were only allowed to fetch water on Fridays because of a strange snake that lives inside the well.

That was how people continue to starve until one day when a person who was believed to be a Baghdad Prince, Abu Yazid came to Daura because he could not get the throne after the death of his father. The brave Prince after lodging in the house of one old woman in the name of Ayyana, requested for water, but he was not given enough. He then requested to be shown the well to fetch water. He was warned about a strange snake. He went to the well and eventually killed the snake after a fight. The Queen then married him and he became a King. Because he could not speak Hausa before, later people started calling him Bayajidda, meaning, he don’t understand before.

He gave birth to seven children that ruled over the seven Hausa states that are called Hausa Bakwai. The Kusugu well is where the giant snake Sarki was killed by sword by Bayajida in the 10th century because the snake would only allow the people of Daura to fetch water from the well only once a week. The well and the sword that was used to kill the formidable snake can still be seen by tourists today.