meanwhile, some of the older ardo'en grew powerful through their own conquests. they regarded the unconquered areas near their territories as their own private backyards and defended these zones from all comers. this sometimes surfaced in their relations with adama, such as when bouba njida of rai refused to come to adama's aid when the emir was fighting the namchi at poli. instead, bouba waited for adama to retreat from the area to bring in his own forces and finish the enemy off. he then sent prisoners from the battle to adama as a gift.