List of shehus of Bornu

The shehu (sheikh) was the ruler of the late Kanem–Bornu Empire, at this stage often referred to as just Bornu or Borno, from 1846 to the end of the empire in 1902. The shehus belonged to the al-Kameni dynasty, the descendants of the scholar and military leader Muhammad al-Amin al-Kanemi, who became the first shehu in 1809. Al-Kameni became the effective ruler of Bornu in the aftermath of the Fula jihads, supplanting the power of the earlier line of rulers (the mais). The mai continued to be a figurehead ruler until 1846, when the last mai was killed and al-Kanemi's son Umar Kura assumed full power over the empire.

After 1902, the line of shehus has continued to rule the non-sovereign Borno Emirate in Nigeria, one of the country's traditional states. The shehu continues to serve as a ceremonial leader, preserving political and cultural continuity with the Kanem–Bornu Empire. Junior branches of the family also serve as shehus of the Dikwa Emirate (also established in 1902) and the Bama Emirate (established in 2010).