Sheikh Jamiu was a gigantic philosophical, sociological, enthusiastic SUFIST. Sheikh Jamiu was born in
1919 at Offa, Kwara State
of Nigeria. His father was
pa Abdul Hakeem
Akannmu Iji who hailed
from the popular Lagbedu
family of Ogbomosho.
His father worked with the
Nigerian Railways
Corporation. He
transferred his service
from Ibadan to Offa and
settled in Offa. Akanmu Iji
married Princess
Humuani Oyebimpe
Abebi of Anilelerin ruling
house in Offa. The
marriage was blessed
with Sheikh Jamiu Bulala.
At Birth, as it was the
practice then, Sheikh
Jamiu’s parents consulted
the oracle to know what
the fate held in stock for
the child. It was predicted
that the child would
acquire the knowledge of
he new religion i.e. Islam.
The Oracle priest also
predicted that child would
be gifted with the unique
ability to know what he
was not taught and that
many would be blessed
through him.
Sheikh Jamiu started
Quranci education from
Sheikh Ismaila Jeje at ile
Arogun. Truly to the
Oracle’s prediction, Sheikh
Jamiu’s performance at
the Quranic School was
exceptionally excellent
according to his Alfa. He
had a magnetic and
photographic brain which
had the capacity of
accurate recall of what he
was taught. Within a very
short time,
Sheikh Jamiu had
completed the Quran and
left for IIorin for further
studies in Sheikh Alfa
Basheer Adangba’s IIE
ikewu. After sometime,
his teacher called him and
said “Alfa Offa, you have
learnt enough and also
you have learnt what we
did not even teach you.
You are blessed and
nobody shall be your
teacher again.”
And that was the end of
Sheikh Jamiu’s tutelage in
Islamic education. He
settled in IIorin till his
mother went to IIorin to
bring him back to Offa on
the advice of the late Olofa
of Offa, Oba wuraola
Isioye.
Sheikh Jamiu succumbed
to his mother’s wish he
settled in Offa and started
the propagation of Islam
in Offa, which was then
populated by idol
worshippers.
The name Bulala was
added to Sheikh’s name
because he was always
with horse whip anytime
he was going out to
frighten any erring girls
who did not dress
properly. Sheikh Jamiu in
his life was averted to girls
dressing in nudity Sheikh
preached moral
uprightness. He was of
the opinion that the girls
with no good home
training and whose
parents could not correct
them were the ones that
used to appear in nudity.
The spiritual power of
Sheikh Jamiu is beyond
ordinary human
comprehension. As
predicted at birth, Sheikh
had a God given talent to
read people’s mind.
Sheikh Jamiu once told his
followers that he was a
reincarnation of one of the
past Waliyis. He explained
to his disciples that pious
people like Waliyis of Allah
do not die but
transmigrate to another
pious body to be reborn
for continuity of the job
given to them by Allah.
The great Sheikh’s claims
cannot be faulted when
one reviews some of his
surprises. Which he
constantly told his
disciples that they are not
miracles. He used to tell
them that he performed
these surprises through
the help of Allah.