Kaduna recovers 500,000 hectares of farmland from bandits — Commissioner
Kola Oyelere, Kaduna
The Kaduna State Government says it has reclaimed hundreds of towns and villages previously occupied by bandits, while recovering over 500,000 hectares of farmland across the state within the last three years.
The State Commissioner for Information and Culture, Ahmed Maiyaki, disclosed this during a gala night organised by his ministry in honour of members of the Kano Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
Maiyaki said the improved security situation had enabled farmers to return to their farms, while business activities had resumed in areas previously affected by banditry.
According to him, the recovery of the farmlands has contributed to increased agricultural production and helped reduce rural-urban migration.
“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 farmland from bandits.
“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,” he said.
The commissioner attributed the state’s recent bumper harvests to the return of farmers to their farmlands, adding that improved agricultural output had enabled more farmers to participate in pilgrimages to the Holy Land in 2024, 2025 and 2026.
He said the improved security situation had also restored confidence among travellers using the Kaduna-Abuja route, which was previously affected by bandit attacks.
“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,” Maiyaki said.
He stressed that security remained a major priority of the administration, describing it as the foundation for meaningful development.
On agriculture, Maiyaki said the state government had distributed 500 trucks of fertiliser free of charge to more than 150,000 farmers during the 2026 farming season.
He said the government distributed 400 trucks of fertiliser in 2024 and increased the figure to 500 trucks in 2025 and another 500 trucks in 2026.
The commissioner also highlighted achievements in the education and transportation sectors.
He said the government had reduced the number of out-of-school children in the state from about 550,000 to 187,000.
Maiyaki added that the government purchased 100 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses in July 2025 to provide cheaper transportation for students and civil servants.
“From July 2025, no fewer than 3.5 million people have been transported with the vehicles, and nothing less than N3.8 million has been saved for people.
“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 said.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the Kano Correspondents’ Chapel, Murtala Adewale, appreciated the Kaduna State Government for hosting the gala night and honouring members of the chapel.