In a quiet village in Adamawa, 76 year old Bintu Namda reigns as the traditional ruler of the community.
She became the ruler of Arnado Debbo, a village in Adamawa state, in 2014 after a successful screening process that also included other princesses.
Only women are allowed to rule the community and must be above the age of 60 because the older women are regarded as more experienced in social issues.
She is the 16th ruler of Arnado Derbo since the first one ruled about 246 years ago.
According to myth, men used to rule the land but many of them died shortly after being crowned king. However, the women who ruled afterwards have stayed on the throne for about 9-40 years.
Although men cannot rule, they play important roles in the community and four of the six council members are male.
However, the female ruler is responsible for regulating the spiritual affairs of her people. And with the advent of Islam and Christianity, she encourages religious leaders of various faiths to organise prayer sessions in their places of worship.
In case you didn’t know, there are other female traditional rulers in other parts of Nigeria such as Kumbada in Niger state and Ikota in Ekiti state.
