Lapai

Lapai lies in the country near the Gurara River, a tributary of the Niger. The surrounding lands were inhabited by Gbari communities and later came under the power of Nupe rulers. In the early nineteenth century Lapai became the centre of an emirate, one of several new states formed amid the wars and religious movements that reshaped the region.

Local tradition traces its beginnings to Daudu Maza, who established a war camp at Lapai in the early 1820s and fought neighbouring settlements. He had previously been associated with Mallam Babba of Agaie, but separated from him and chose a hilltop site for its strategic position. From this camp a new seat of authority grew, with Daudu Maza as its founder.