Majority of Lokoja indigenes believes that Muhammadu Maikarfi to be a Nupe man from the present Niger state,but in actual fact ,his parents were reliable among the Katsinawa (Hausa from Katsina,in the present Katsina state)Jihadists who settled among the Nupes at a place called Kwadu somewhere very close to Eggan,present Lokoja local government ,however Sources are silent on when exactly came to Lokoja, but according to Pa Joseph Abu Ogbeha: “Muhammadu 1, was Maikarfi was a worker with Marine dockyard ,cargo section which was established in 1900,While another source said Muhammadu Maikarfi worked with the European companies and that was how he got the name “MAIKARFI” meaning:—the powerful”.
It can therefore be say that Muhammadu Maikarfi was one of the teeming workers who were attracted to Lokoja by the presence of European companies.
As it was predestined, years later,due to his natural strength and outstanding qualities amongst his contemporaries, Maikarfi won the heart of Europe companies and their aliens in the community.
He later became a trader who supplied European companies with Palm Kernels, Cotton and some other commodities as a result which he became wealthy and influential in Lokoja town.
However there is no reliable information as to how he got involved into Lokoja town politics.
His milestone contributions, political career, and assistant to Maigari Hamza and his rules as a principal protagonist that follows the dethronement of Maigari Hamza in 1905 according to archival source, contributed to his emergence as the Maigari of Lokoja.
Muhammadu Maikarfi was said to have become influential and de-factor ruler of Lokoja even before the demised of Maigari Bukar Abiga in 1916. His raised to power was said to have aided by three factors. These includes: His major rival and son of late Maigari Bukar,by name, Ali Abiga was politically cipher, Maikarfi wealth and influence which made him command the respect of all wards heads and the support he garnered from all the tribes especially the Nupes were among the factors that influenced his emergence as the Maigari of Lokoja in 1916.