The late Ya Maira’s personal name is Ya Falmata. She was also called Ya Kura. She passed away in the night of 16th March 2010 and was laid to rest the follwing day. Less than a year ago, specifically on Wednesaday 17th July 2009, Kanuri Studies Association had visited her inher official residence in the Shehu of Borno's palace. Speaking to KASA, Ya Maira said she was born in Dikwa about one hundred and one years ago. She is the daughter of Shehu Umar Ibn Muhammad Al-Amin El-Kanemi, popularly known as Shehu Sanda Kyarimi who reigned in Dikwa from 1917 to 1937 and also in Borno from 1937 to 1968.
Ya Maira was turbaned on Sunday 16th May 1993. Before her appointment as Ya Maira, she had been the Dowoma for forty five years. Her investiture was carried out by the late Shettima Kanuribe, Alhaji Shettima Mamman and the late Waziri of Borno, Alhaji Yerima Muktar. Ya Maira is traditionally called ''Yanzu Maibe'' meaning the ''The King's mother.'' The title is given to a senior member of the royal family.
Upon her investiture, the following announcement was made by the Shettima Kanuribe:
Jama daji Barganzuye awo shiro gulzunadu adu shiro Ya Maira wono. Shiro Ya Maira gulzuna adu awo Shehuro wajib woso shiye ro wajib. Shehu yero kana kaua ginas gultin gultin, shi yero kana kaua ginas gultin. Kana adu shima kam gasalzaidu. Kau adu kiladun napsa gasalzai. Adu sairo laira taktugu nankaro kana kaua ginas gulzai (Karapka 1995:59).
Translation
Know you people that His Royal Highness said she is Ya Maira. By Maira it is meant that all the respect due to the Shehu is due to her. Kana kaua ginas is said to the Shehu as well as to her. Kana refers to the procedure of spiritual bath of the dead. Kau (stone) is for sitting in on it in the process of the bath. This is said to them to remind them of the hereafter (Karapka 1995:59).
She is presently the oldest member of the living El-Kanemi family. She said she was married the year Abba Geidam was killed. Abba Geidamma, son of Shehu Sanda Kura (1922-1937) was shot dead in 1935 by an ex-District Head called Abba Mahmud Musami. Putting in Kanuri, Ya Maira said ‘’yim adua shinyi cetuluwo, daji Yerwaro kashe’’ meaning her traditional matrimonial confinement of one year as a bride was terminated that day and they left for Maiduguri. Ya Maira's only son who was a prominent member of the Borno elite also passed away three days after his mother.
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