in Gwandu. When the British heard of Monteil's report, and then heard that the French had raised their flag in Argungu, they dispatched troops to Argungu in 1898, where they found no French presence. The British established a permanent force in Argungu in 1902 to provide protection to French caravans crossing the British zone by agreement, and then to protect the boundary commission that was delimiting the boundary between the French and British spheres. On hearing word that the Sultan of Sokoto was gathering his forces, this force and others were dispatched to Sokoto where after some fighting they achieved a decisive victory. Sarkin Sama had welcomed the British for political reasons, since under the British system of indirect rule he was able to regain and consolidate his power. By 1908, British power was unquestioned. At a durbar held in 1908 for the colonial governor Frederick Lugard, the emirs of Kebbi and Gwandu and the Sultan of Sokoto turned out in force, with a show of fifteen thousand horsemen and camels. The Emirs gave Lugard sixteen ponies as tribute, and prostrated themselves before him. The British established a system where the emirs were given large administrative authority subject to the direction of District Officers. The Argungu posting was not sought after. The mosquitoes were so bad that the D.O. had to sleep in a specially constructed mosquito cage. Emirate today Fishing festival The annual Argungu Fishing Festival is one of the largest cultural events in northern Nigeria. The Festival has a long history. It was first staged when the Sultan of Sokoto, Hassan Dan Mu’azu, visited the Argungu Emirate in 1934, and was held to display the fishing ability of the Kabawas by the Emir Muhammed Sama. Until the 1960s the festival was a local affair, but in 1972 it was attended by the Nigerian Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon and his counterpart from Niger, Hamani Diori. For political reasons, the festival lost support and no festival was staged from 1999 until 2004. The festival has now been revived and is becoming a major tourist attraction. By 2009, the renamed Argungu International and Cultural Festival included a grand durbar with 500 well-decorated horses and their riders, and 120 well decorated camels and their riders, led by the flag bearer of the Argungu Emirate and including participants from many other ethnic groups. The largest fish weighed 55 kg, and the