On the death of  Abdukadir [maje Abalago] emir of Kano  Aliyu appointed  Abdulkadir 111 as the new Sarkin Dutse.

This period coincided with the  piece meal occupation of the Sokoto  Caliphate by the British colonial  administration.

He was a very learned  Islamic theologian and devoted much of his time in the palace to the promotion of scholarship.

On  January 2,1903, barely four weeks before the British army  set  out for the conquest  of Kano from Zaria, Sarki Abdulkadir 111 in company of about one hundred  ardent believers from Dutse  joined  emir Aliyu  on a visit to Sokoto.

On their way back  the sad news of the capture of Kano was communicated to the  party, Aliyu deserted  and later was captured by the British forces and exiled in Lokoja.

Abdulkadir rather than surrender to the British, opted to return to Sokoto along with Dan yamusa  and joined  caliph Attahiru  on holy emigration. Several hundred more people from Dutse joined their Sarki  when the caliph and company entered Kano territory on 20th march 1903 en-route to  Mecca.

On 27th  July, the British forces  on per suit of the caliph laid a final assault on them at Burmi. The caliph and Sarki Abdulkadir 111 were killed along with several thousand gallant defenders of the caliph.