The Sullubawa, SisilÃÂe or Sullubanko'en are a Fulani clan that historically featured prominently in the Jihad of Usman dan Fodio which founded the Sokoto Caliphate. The ruling dynastic houses of Kano Emirate and Katsina Emirate; as well as the Ringim Emirate and Karaye Emirate belong to the clan and another amongst the four ruling Houses of Zazzau Emirate. They are also found in Kano, Jigawa, Katsina and Sokoto states.
The SisilÃÂe were originally Wangara or Wakoré, an eastern subgroup of itinerant Manding people, who spoke both Hausa and Fulfulde, after abandoning their own original Mande tongue. Such was the case also of the LaoÃÂe of Senegal and the trading group called the JawamÃÂe ( JawanÃÂo) in Sokoto.
According to other accounts, the ancestral origin of the Sullubawa is bilÃÂd as-sà «dÃÂn (èÃÂçï çÃÂóÃÂïçÃÂ) (Sullubawa in Hausa, Sullpe in Fulani language) are the descendants of Ahmed Bah èçà(one of the four of Oquba Bin Nafah Alfehri çÃÂÃÂÃÂñàùÃÂèé èàÃÂçÃÂù offspring and the two thousand soldiers (Faman settled in Silla) at Niger river have intermarriage with native residents they are distributed into 18 tribes some of them are: Yallabi ÃÂÃÂèàWlrapi ÃÂÃÂñèàSall óçàSullupe SullubawaóÃÂÃÂÃÂèà, Tarnapi êçÃÂñçèàOranbi, wallabi and 80 branches related to them.
Sullupi óà, óÃÂè óÃÂóÃÂè of Fulani clan emigrated from Tur Sinai ÷ÃÂñ óÃÂÃÂçá the coted name for Futa Toro ÃÂÃÂêç êÃÂñà,which some Fulani tribe tale believe that were they migrated from to Hausa Land and then settled in Gerderga ÃÂÃÂïÃÂÃÂï between Jammalwal ìàçãÃÂÃÂçàand Ged (south Niger & North Nigeria) and their clan title were (Bah) èàèçà. Fulani Sullupi were existed in Macina àçóÃÂÃÂç territory with their cattle cows long before the arrival of shake ôÃÂî Ahmed Lobo.
They are the main branches of El-Faman ancestors of the Red Fulani of Western Sudan that white army who came from North Africa and settled in Silla since 739 A.D.
They are said to have originated from Futa Toro, in what is now Senegal, and are cousins with the Torodbe (Toronkawa) from Sissilo, the husband of Cippowo, a sister of Uthman Toroddo ancestor of Usman dan Fodio.
Sullubawa fought against the Hausa kingdoms in the jihad led by Usman dan Fodio. They became "hereditary beneficiaries of all positions of authority in all but one Hausa state". The clan controlled many of the fiefdoms of the Kano Emirate in the 19th century. They benefitted from British colonization and indirect rule which saw their influence increase. The Sullubawa later attained positions of power following independence; with one of them Umaru Musa Yar'Adua becoming President of Nigeria.