In the soft, golden valleys of Yakoko, beneath the watchful shadows of Taraba’s ancient mountains, a story was born — not whispered, but roared. A girl, tall and black like the hills that raised her, walked gently through the earth… until destiny handed her a basketball. Her name? Abubakar Jamila Ganza.
But in courts and conversations from Jalingo to Yokohama, she is known simply as Meelath — or by her battle name — MANKILLER, the Taraba Giant.
Jamila stands like a storm in motion. 6 feet and 3 inches of grace and grit, carved by nature and nurtured by hardship. Her skin, dark as the fertile soil of Zing, shines with defiance. Her spirit? Gentle as the evening wind in Unguwan Gadi, yet strong enough to shake glass ceilings from Taraba to Tokyo.
From Poor Soil, A Golden Seed
Born into a humble family of eight, Jamila’s early days were marked not by privilege but by promise. There were no trophies on her childhood shelf — just pots of hope, watered by dreams and sweat.
She had no plans, no coach, no court — only height, and a haunting hunger for something more.
That hunger was noticed one fateful day in 2021, when her stepfather’s friends — stadium men saw her. “Is this girl a basketballer?” they asked.
“No,” he said.
“Why?”
“Her mother is afraid… she’s just a girl.”Leading that group was none other than the late Bakari Shamaki, famously known as the Bad Boy — a respected wrestling coach and gym instructor in Jalingo. He had spotted something in the tall girl with quiet eyes.
He told Coach Ahmadu Abba about her, and on a fateful day, took him to the family’s house near NTA Jalingo. “We spoke with her mother,” the coach recalls. “She said she was scared — scared because Jamila was a girl. But then she added, ‘I trust her under your care.’”
That moment turned hesitation into hope.
But giants do not shrink for fear. That day, those men became bridges. They spoke to her mother. They spoke to her brothers. They spoke with belief. And belief is louder than fear.
The First Step of a Thousand
On August 19, 2021, she began her journey under the guidance of Coach Ahmadu Abba, at Taraba Motel Court — a place where many came to play, but where Meelath came to be transformed. Each bounce of the ball became a drumbeat of identity. Each drop of sweat, a sacrifice to a dream much taller than herself.
And when she stumbled? Her coach reminded her: “I believe in you.”
When she cried? Her mother reminded her: “I am proud of you.”
These voices formed a foundation. From there, Meelath leapt — not just to fame, but across oceans.
Words from the Coach Ahmadu Abba Who Witnessed It All
According to her Nigerian coach, the journey was filled with both brilliance and breaking points:
“We had been training consistently for four months when I received an offer to coach at the American University of Nigeria, Yola, starting from February 1st. It was a moment of mixed emotions for Jamila. She was deeply affected—so much so that she asked her mother if she could find out my salary, just so they could pay me themselves and I wouldn’t take the AUN job.”
“She cried the day I left and told me it felt like the end of her basketball journey. She stopped going for practice. But whenever we spoke or chatted, I would always ask if she went to practice, and she would say yes—even though I knew she hadn’t. I kept encouraging her, kept pushing, and eventually she found the strength to return to the court.”
“I made it a point to return to Jalingo every month to supervise her progress, give her personalized workouts, and provide mentorship. Whenever school was on break, I would spend my time back in Jalingo, just so we could train together again.”
“Then in 2023, a Japanese scout reached out, looking for a tall female player. I sent him a video of Jamila’s workouts along with her height measurement. Not long after, he informed me that Hakuho Joshi girls High School in Japan was interested in offering her a full scholarship to study and play basketball. That was the beginning of a life-changing journey.”
“When Jamila arrived in Japan, she struggled at first. The cold weather, the unfamiliar food, and the cultural and religious differences made her want to come back home. But I kept encouraging and reminding her: this wasn’t just about her. She was carrying the hopes of a whole community.”
“Today, she’s one of the top female players in Japan—and her story is far from over.”
The Girl (Jamila).from Jalingo, Now in Japan
Today, Jamila studies and plays basketball at Hakuho Joshi Girls High School, in the bustling heart of Yokohama, Japan. A 17-year-old Nigerian girl, shaped by the morals of her people, now towers on the courts of Asia — an emblem of grit and grace.
She isn’t just tall in body — she is tall in courage, in culture, in conviction.
They say when she plays, defenders fall.
They say when she speaks, little girls listen.
They say… the MANKILLER has arrived.
From Tuwo to Tokyo
From eating Tuwo Masara and Miyan Kuka in Jalingo with love and family, she is now munching Sushi and Ramen in Kanagawa. It is not an easy transformation — but with determination and grit, even her palates had to comply. Following in the big footsteps of female Nigerian greats like Aisha Mohammed, Rashidat Sadik, and Mactabene Amachree, she will eventually put Nigeria on the global basketball map.
Morals, Muscles, and Mountains
But beyond the dunks and drills, what makes Meelath stand out is her moral compass. Raised in a home of discipline, faith, and tradition, she carries her people wherever she goes. A daughter of the Mumuye tribe, from Zing Local Government, her black skin glistens like a story untold. She is not just an athlete — she is poetry in motion.
The Message She Sends
To the girl in a small village, afraid to dream — she says: Stand up.
To the youth lost in the noise — she says: You are enough.
To the world — she says: Talent lives in places you refuse to look.
“It’s very hard,” she says, “but I’m making it gradually.”
And with every step, Meelath makes the path easier for those behind her.
The Legacy Begins
This is no fairy tale. This is a Taraba tale. A tale of a mountain girl, with ebony skin and a lion’s heart, who refused to sit down simply because she was a girl.
This is Abubakar Jamila Ganza,
Known to fans as MANKILLER,
Known to peers as Meelath,
Known to the skies as Taraba’s Giant.
And to the future? She will be known as a legend born from the humble dust of Yakoko.
Let the world watch.
Let the girls rise.
The Giant from Taraba is only getting started.
