Tamale’s Mighty Menace: The Story of Iddrisu Wawa

M(caps)any people who have lived in Tamale and its surrounding areas will have heard the name Iddrisu Wawa. This was a real person known for his very tall and thick build and his great strength. Wawa first lived in "Sabonjida" (a suburb in Tamale) in the 1960s, but later in life moved to other places, including Nyohini.

Iddrisu Wawa was known to be strong and fierce, which caused people to fear him. He was known to be very troublesome.

   A simple look at him could cause problems. He would sometimes feel like beating someone, challenging them by saying, "Ka a lihiri lihiri ma boo?" (And you keep looking at me, right?). The person would have to plead to avoid being severely beaten.

His name, "Wawa" is a Hausa name which means "F00l". But calling him by the Dagbani version of that name will land you in big trouble. Either you plead, or he beats the héll out of you. 

Wawa's menace to  the community

   During the day, He would go to the market and tell traders to give him things for free. He would threaten them with trouble if they did not meet his demands.

   At night, He would raid the market, taking important items like bags of maize. Although watchmen tried to stop him, even shooting poisonous arrows, he would survive. This was because he secretly kept flat wooden panels guarding his chest and back. The next day, anyone who complains about missing items will have to pay Wawa a ransom for their return.

Wawa would sneak into the market at night, damage furniture, and then return the next day with his tools. He would offer to fix the broken furniture for a payment. Even though some market women knew he was the one causing the damage, they stayed silent out of fear.

He would sometimes lock the main water source that supplied pipe water to certain areas. He would later return and ask the people (mostly women) to contribute money to him, claiming he would go to the water company to get the water turned back on. He would then go and unlock the source, returning to tell them he had convinced the water company to help. Someone eventually saw him doing this and told the people.

Despite knowing he was the culprit behind their problems, no one dared to speak up for fear of being mercilessly beaten.

In his final year, rumors spread that Iddrisu Wawa was seriously ill, and he later died from that sickness. 

Many said "Bi labi o la doro" (he was inflicted with sickness spiritually). Others believed it was a curse on him.

This is the account of Iddrisu Wawa, a mighty and strong figure from Tamale's history.

Do you remember hearing about Iddrisu Wawa? Share your knowledge or stories in the comments