. ▁Ad ama ▁set ▁up ▁government ▁over ▁this ▁new ▁Adam awa ▁Em ir ate ▁in ▁Y ola ▁( present - day ▁Niger ia ), ▁answering ▁only ▁to ▁the ▁s ultan ▁of ▁the ▁S ok oto ▁Empire . ▁The ▁Mand ara ▁Mountains ▁and ▁the ▁sw amp y ▁confl u ence ▁of ▁the ▁Log one ▁and ▁Ch ari ▁rivers ▁supported ▁the ▁highest ▁population ▁density , ▁as ▁many ▁pe op les ▁had ▁fled ▁the ▁Ne o - S ud an ese ▁and ▁Ful ani ▁invas ions ▁by ▁taking ▁refuge ▁on ▁higher ▁ground . ▁The ▁region ▁was ▁part ▁of ▁a ▁l am id at ▁ruled ▁from ▁Mar ou a . ▁ ▁European ▁contacts ▁The ▁earliest ▁Europe ans ▁to ▁reach ▁the ▁territory ▁were ▁British ▁expl or ers ▁Hugh ▁Cla pp erton , ▁D ixon ▁Den ham , ▁and ▁Dr . ▁Walter ▁O ud ney , ▁who ▁were ▁expl oring ▁the ▁Niger ▁River . ▁They ▁crossed ▁the ▁Sah ara ▁Des ert ▁over land ▁and ▁reached ▁Lake ▁Ch ad ▁in ▁ 1 8 2 2 . ▁Den ham ▁then ▁expl ored ▁the ▁lake ▁while ▁Cla pp erton ▁and ▁O ud ney ▁followed ▁the ▁Ch ari ▁River . ▁Den ham ▁accompanied ▁the ▁Born u ▁and ▁Mand ara ▁army ▁in ▁its ▁attack ▁on ▁Ful ani ▁in ▁Mos fe i , ▁north ▁of ▁Mar ou a ▁in ▁April ▁ 1 8 2 3 . ▁He ▁was ▁captured , ▁but ▁managed ▁to ▁escape ▁as ▁his ▁Ful ani ▁capt ors ▁argued ▁over ▁his ▁cl othing . ▁O ud ney ▁died ▁in ▁ 1 8 2