Kaduna reclaims 500,000 hectares from bandits, commissioner says

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The Kaduna State Government has recovered over 500,000 hectares of land that were hitherto under the control of bandits across the state.

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The Commissioner for Information and Culture, Ahmed Maiyaki, disclosed this on Sunday during a gala night organised by his ministry, in honour of the members of the Kano Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists.

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The members of the Kano Correspondents’ Chapel were in Kaduna for the 2026 Retreat, themed “2027 General Elections: Navigating Legal, Security and Ethical Challenges in the Media.”

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Speaking to the journalists, Maiyaki said, “I’m happy to tell you that the present administration under the able leadership of Governor Uba Sani has, within the past three years, recovered over 500,000 hectares of land from bandits.

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“As you know, without security you cannot achieve anything. Before now, farmers in such areas were unable to go to their farms due to the activities of the bandits.”

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He noted that the activities of the bandits had, in the past, forced many travellers to stop travelling between Kaduna and Abuja.

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“I’m happy to say that that has now become a thing of the past because the security situation in Kaduna State has greatly improved,” the commissioner said.

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Maiyaki said the state government would continue to accord security priority attention as it remains the backbone of any meaningful development in the society.

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He said as part of efforts to ensure massive food production, the state government had, under the 2026 farming season, distributed 500 trucks of fertiliser free to no fewer than 150,000 farmers across the state.

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“In 2024, the government distributed 400 trucks of fertiliser to farmers free of charge. Similarly, 500 trucks of the commodity were distributed in 2025 in addition to the 500 trucks distributed to over 150,000 farmers in 2026,” he said.

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On education, the commissioner said the state government had been able to reduce the number of out-of-school children from 550,000 to 187,000.

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He said the government, in July 2025, purchased 100 CNG buses, which are being used to transport students and civil servants at cheaper fares to reduce the cost of transportation.

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“From July 2025, no fewer than 3.5 million people have been transported with the vehicles, and nothing less than N3.8m has been saved for people.

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“Even the Nigeria Labour Congress has confirmed that workers have saved 40 per cent of their income since the introduction of the CNG buses,” he added.

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The chairman of the chapel, Murtala Adewale, appreciated the Kaduna State government for organising the gala night.

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