Dunama IX Lefiami

Dunama IX Lefiami (Dunama Lefiami bin Aḥmad) was the mai of the Kanem–Bornu Empire in 1808–1811 and 1814–1817. Dunama came to power after his elderly father, Ahmad, decided to abdicate in the aftermath of the Fulani capture and destruction of Ngazargamu, the empire's capital. Dunama led resistance against the invaders and turned the tide with the recruitment of religious scholar and military leader Muhammad al-Amin al-Kanemi. With al-Kanemi's aid, the Fulani were largely repelled from imperial territory and Dunama restored to power.

Dunama came to increasingly rely on al-Kanemi for the defense of the empire against further Fulani attacks, leading to al-Kanemi amassing unprecedented power and influence. Al-Kanemi's increasing influence and Dunama's failure to settle on a new capital raised questions about his leadership among his courtiers. In 1811, Dunama was deposed by his own courtiers in a palace revolt, replaced as mai with his uncle Muhammad IX Ngileruma. Dunama was restored as mai in 1814 with al-Kanemi's aid. Al-Kanemi began to act independently more overtly, adopting the title shehu, establishing his own seat of power at Kukawa, and sometimes avoided properly consulting with the mai on political matters. In 1817, Dunama attempted to remove al-Kanemi by orchestrating an invasion of the empire by the Sultanate of Bagirmi but was himself killed in the fighting.