Our ancestor, Alhaji Zubairu Lawal Moriki, was originally from the village of Moriki in Zurmi Local Government Area of Zamfara State. He was Hausa and Fulani because his mother was a Fulani woman from the bush, a fair-skinned, handsome elder. He grew up following the strict discipline and moral upbringing of the Hausa people of Northern Nigeria, deeply adhering to Islamic laws.

His involvement in cattle trading brought him to Kano, where he eventually settled and made it his home. Gradually, he moved his entire family to Kano. His wife, Maimuna (Adda), bore him five children, although they had lost several others due to illnesses during infancy.

The eldest of his children was Hajiya Hafsatu (Yaya ta 'Kwalli), who never had biological children. However, her siblings ensured she never felt the void of childlessness. She raised two children from her family, Ramla and Ashir, whom she nurtured and later married off. Hafsatu was a strong-willed woman, fiercely protective of family bonds. Whenever she sensed a rift in relationships, she did everything possible to mend it.

Next was Alhaji Abubakar Moriki (Abba), a righteous elder who upheld Islamic principles and cherished family ties. He pursued all his education in Islamic studies, earning his first degree in Hadith Science in Sudan. He later proceeded to Egypt, where he deepened his knowledge of Islamic law and inheritance studies. His entire education was sponsored by the Nigerian federal government. After his studies, he ventured into the trade of hibiscus flowers (zobo) and gum arabic (ƙaro) across African countries, where he achieved remarkable success and became one of the notable businessmen in the industry.

He was married to one wife, Hajiya Saude (Umma), who hailed from Yola in Adamawa State. She was a fair-skinned, full-figured woman with abundant hair, though she was short in height. She was a woman of pride and dignity, detesting anything that could come between her and her husband, who was a pillar of support to his extended family.

They were blessed with six children, the first five being exceptionally beautiful daughters who inherited their mother's features and their father's height. Although Abba was handsome, there was no comparison between male and female beauty. His wife’s fair complexion and long, jet-black hair made her look almost Arabian, and her daughters resembled her. However, despite being blessed with such beautiful and healthy children, she was never truly content because she longed for a male child.

Their firstborn was Hafsat, named after her aunt, followed by Maimuna (Ummu), named after their grandmother. Then came Juwairiya, Ramla, and Sakina. Their lastborn was a boy, named after the Prophet’s companion, Abubakar, and was commonly called Sadik, after his father. His mother, however, preferred to call him Gudale.

Then there was Hajiya Binta Moriki (Maman Kebbi), who was married in Kebbi and had three children: Shafa’atu, Adnan, and Ashir.

Alhaji Sani Moriki (Baban Gusau) was a businessman dealing in clothing in the main market of Gusau, where he lived with his family. He was a strict and outspoken man, never tolerating jokes, no matter the situation. He had one wife and five children: Fatima, Abubakar, Maimunatu (Ummj), Abbas, and Farisa. Abbas lived with us in Kano from his secondary school days at Science Dawakin Kudu, growing up alongside our brother Sadik and their peers.

My father, Alhaji Ibrahim Moriki (Baban Yara), was the youngest sibling. Alhaji Abubakar took care of all his educational needs up to his marriage. He worked in the Universal Basic Education Commission. My mother, Safiyya (Mama), was from Kano, born in the Magashi area into a large family—not wealthy, but well-established. She was of average beauty, slightly plump, with large, bright eyes and a flawless caramel complexion, while my father was very fair-skinned.

When my mother married into our family, Umma (Hajiya Saude) was nursing Ramla, and they lived peacefully together. Whenever my father was away, my mother would complete her chores and then spend time with Umma, as they lived in a family house that Abba had expanded and modernized in the Hausawa 'Yan-Babura area. Umma enjoyed my mother’s company, particularly because of her obedience and the care she provided for her children, especially Ramla, whom she rarely let out of her sight except when she slept.

Less than a year after their marriage, my mother gave birth to Abdallah, which displeased Umma. Although she didn’t openly show it, she felt uneasy. Within four years, my mother had three sons: Abdallah, Azzubair (Babangida), and Ammar.

At that point, Umma began displaying her unpleasant traits, developing intense resentment toward my mother and her children. Her greatest bitterness stemmed from her own inability to conceive again, while my mother continued to give birth to male children every year. She feared that the family’s legacy and influence would shift from her side to Safiyya and Ibrahim’s side.

She started preventing her children from visiting their uncle’s household, and whenever my mother came around, she gave her the cold shoulder. Even the smallest issue would cause Umma to make hurtful remarks that lingered for days. However, her husband remained their source of protection.

Umma made life difficult for my mother, to the point where she became anxious about receiving visitors, knowing that she would face humiliation. My mother’s patience made it difficult for even my father to recognize what was happening. It wasn’t until much later that he noticed the absence of Ramla and her siblings in our home and realized that my mother had stopped visiting Umma as often. Being a person who valued family unity, he pretended not to understand the issue and tried to handle it diplomatically by reminding Umma that she was the elder one and that it was my mother who had withdrawn from her, as he had noticed her visits had reduced.