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.