As the wedding of Hanan, the daughter of President Muhammadu Buhari, was taking place on Friday, a number of young men must have been biting their fingers over their loss.
Abdullahi Bashir, a 22-year-old son of a herder from Adamawa State, would have been one of them but for his assertion that he is happy for her despite the fact that nothing would have made him happier than to marry her.
He even offered a contribution to the wedding activities when his bold moves to date her hit a solid wall.
After all efforts to meet the girl personally to express his love failed, the young Fulani man took to social media, posting a video in which he offered 150 cattle as bride price if she agreed to his proposal.
When he learnt that she was getting married to another man, he accepted it as the will of God and announced his contribution of 50 cattle for the wedding ceremony.
The value of 150 cattle
“By offering 150 cattle for Hanan’s hand in marriage, I didn’t mean to show that I was wealthy, in fact I am nobody.
“I was not looking at the market value of the cattle, I was looking at the value of a cow to a Fulani man.
“It is easier for a Fulani man to give you one million naira than to give you his cow.
“This shows how much I value and love her”.
Far from being a typical stick-wielding, forest dwelling cattle boy, Abdullahi is a google certified web developer and digital marketer with profound interest in digital photography and videography.
“I developed the website of Koode Radio International, a Fulfulde AM station located in Abuja, and I am the one managing the site.
“I am into journalism as a freelance reporter with the radio station”, he stated in an exclusive interview with Daily Trust.
He noted that he is currently focusing on using his YouTube channel to create awareness among his Fulani kinsmen about modern ranching business as well as train youngsters on technology and innovation.
Photographic love
Hanan first caught his attention on social media after he watched images of her taking professional pictures at an event in Bauchi.
Photography is a profession seldom explored by girls from the northern part of Nigeria, let alone Hausa or Fulani girls.
Scrolling down Hanan’s profile pages on the social media platforms, the young man came across many pictures and posts that showed how much he shared in common with this beautiful yet adventurous Fulani girl.
Just like him, she loved photography.
Within a short time, all his close friends knew about his preoccupation with the girl he was yet to meet and they nicknamed him Gorko Hanan, a Fulfulde phrase meaning “Hanan’s husband”.
He later discovered the photographer he had been pre-occupied with was the daughter of President Buhari.
Yet he was not scared. Rather than recoil in fear, he searched for more information about the young photographer, and made further enquiries.
Head over heels
One thing the Fulani boy failed to realise was that he had fallen in love with Hanan until a close friend called his attention to the reality.
“It was later that I got to know she was the president’s daughter”, he revealed.
Staring at her photograph on the screen of his computer, he said, he understood the pursuit of would be a herculean task, yet he would not give up.
He was determined to look for her wherever he could find her.
According to him, he was impressed by Hanan’s simplicity as testified to by her decision to work as a photographer.
(Daily Trust)
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