Emir Abbas appointed Abdullahi 1 as the new District Head of Dutse. He started his administration with a very impressive tax drive to avoid the pitfalls of his predecessors.

Within a few years, problems of emigration to neighboring Districts of Gaya and Birnin-Kudu where the taxes are relatively lower drained his efforts.

When tax records for the year 1914/1915 for the District fell to the lowest level, the Colonial administration charged him as lacking in the ability to take total control of the District and therefore directed the emir to appoint someone to assist him in his primary duties. Dan-Lawan [Ahmadu Gurara] was posted to Dutse.

The surge in the revenue collected in the year 1916/1917 was seen by the Colonial Administration as the personal efforts of Ahmadu Gurara, and therefore directed the Native Authority to reduce the status of Sarki Abdullahi 1 to a Village head, and appoint Gurara as the new District Head.

This arrangement was contrary to the established tradition of Dutse-Kano relationship, and was resisted vehemently by the Dutse ruling Houses and the people of Dutse in general. He was refused any cooperation and his administration was sabotaged at all levels.

Dan Lawan could not occupy the palace and therefore had to re-locate to Limawa and administer the District from there. In one incident in 1918, he visited the Dutse prison at Garu the headquarters of the District Administration and was ambushed by irate youth mobilized by one of Sarki Abdullahi’s wives [Fulani].

The Colonial Administration perceived this incident as weakness on the part of Dan-Lawan Ahmadu and his continued stay at Dutse may bring further instability and therefore recalled him back to Kano.

They also viewed the crisis as engineered by Sarki Abdullahi, and was summoned to Kano and later removed from office in 1919.