The Kano State Government has declared an end to the nearly 50-year-old land dispute between Bayero University, Kano (BUK), and residents of Rimin Zakara, following the implementation of a compensation and resettlement programme designed to resolve the longstanding crisis.
The declaration was made on Monday at the Kano State Government House by the Commissioner, Ministry of Public Procurement, Project Monitoring and Evaluation, Nura Iro Maaji, who represented the Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, at the event.
The settlement is being implemented through the Kano State Ministry of Land and Physical Planning and involves the verification, compensation and resettlement of affected claimants, as well as the protection and recovery of land belonging to BUK.
Representing the governor, Maaji said the dispute had persisted through successive administrations, resulting in litigation, mistrust, encroachment and confrontations that, at various times, led to injuries and loss of lives.
“Today, we are not here to recount the history of Rimin Zakara. We are here to close it,” Governor Yusuf said in the speech read by Maaji.
The governor said his administration had made a deliberate decision to confront difficult problems inherited from previous governments rather than allow them to continue unresolved.
According to him, the Rimin Zakara dispute was “bigger than a land settlement,” as it represented his administration’s commitment to confronting longstanding problems, protecting ordinary citizens, strengthening institutions and finding practical solutions.
Yusuf said the government was confronted with the situation where thousands of citizens had purchased land from people who allegedly lacked lawful authority to sell portions of land belonging to BUK.
He explained that many of the affected persons had invested their life savings, borrowed money, sold assets or commenced construction on the land, believing that they had acquired it legitimately.
“We therefore faced a choice. We could apply the strictest interpretation of the situation and allow thousands of families to bear the consequences. Or we could find a solution that defended the law while recognising the human reality. Instead, we chose justice with compensation,” he said.
The governor disclosed that the state government had committed billions of naira to compensation and resettlement, while BUK had also made a significant sacrifice by conceding portions of land originally reserved for its future expansion.
He said more than 85 per cent of BUK’s landholding would remain reserved for the university’s present and future academic, research, residential and infrastructural development.
Yusuf commended the university’s management for its patience, maturity and cooperation throughout the process, assuring BUK that the state government would protect its boundaries and support its expansion.
He, however, warned land grabbers and other persons involved in illegal land transactions that the government’s humanitarian intervention should not be interpreted as weakness.
“Our compassion must never be mistaken for weakness. The settlement we have provided for innocent participants cannot become a business model for land grabbers,” the governor warned.
He said the era in which individuals could illegally seize government or institutional land, subdivide and sell same to innocent citizens and expect government to use public funds to resolve the consequences must come to an end.
The governor urged BUK, the Rimin Zakara and surrounding communities, traditional and religious leaders, beneficiaries, security agencies and other stakeholders to protect the peace achieved through the settlement.
“Today, on behalf of the government and the good people of Kano State, I declare that the BUK-Rimin Zakara land crisis is over,” Yusuf declared.
The Commissioner for Land and Physical Planning, Abduljabbar Muhammad Umar, said the dispute was one of the most difficult and prolonged land disputes in the history of Kano State.
Umar said the crisis dated back to the acquisition of land by the government in the 1980s for the establishment and future development of the permanent site of Bayero University, Kano.
He explained that unresolved issues relating to compensation, ancestral interests and boundaries were compounded over the years by rapid urbanisation, unauthorised occupation, speculative transactions and the activities of land agents.
According to him, some individuals subdivided and purportedly sold portions of land reserved for BUK without lawful authority, further complicating the dispute.
The commissioner said the situation deteriorated following confrontations in early 2025, making it a matter of justice, public security, institutional development, community stability and the future expansion of BUK.
He said Governor Yusuf subsequently directed that a comprehensive, lawful, humane and final solution be found.
A high-level committee was constituted, while extensive consultations were held with BUK, affected communities, claimants, security agencies and other stakeholders.
“Historical records were examined, claims were verified, surveys were conducted, and the competing interests were carefully assessed,” Umar said.
He disclosed that the recommendations of the committee were subsequently considered and approved by the Kano State Executive Council.
According to Umar, more than 6,000 claims and interests were identified and processed under the settlement programme.
He said residential plots had been reserved and allocated to verified beneficiaries across the approved Rimin Zakara, Rijiyar Zaki and Jahajira Garing layouts, while monetary compensation for eligible claims and structures was being processed.
The commissioner said the Kano State Government had committed billions of naira to compensation, resettlement, planning, surveying, infrastructure and administration.
He stressed that the settlement should not be interpreted as government recognising private sales agreements as valid titles to BUK or government land.
Umar explained that during the verification exercise, many claimants presented private sales agreements and acknowledgements between sellers and purchasers, which he said did not constitute valid statutory or customary titles capable of transferring ownership of the affected land.
He said the government nevertheless recognised the difficult circumstances of citizens who had purchased the land in good faith without knowing that the sellers lacked lawful authority.
“Many purchasers invested their life savings, others borrowed money, sold assets, or spent years constructing homes on land they genuinely believed they had purchased legitimately,” Umar said.
He said the compensation and resettlement programme was therefore a humanitarian intervention based on compassion, equity and overriding public interest, rather than an endorsement of unlawful transactions.
The commissioner also assured genuine beneficiaries that those who had not received compensation cards previously collected on their behalf would be allowed to undergo revalidation, identification and security screening before replacement documents were issued directly to them.
Umar said the government had earlier commenced verification of beneficiaries through the Ministry of Land and Physical Planning and the Department of State Services (DSS), including biometric authentication to establish the identities of claimants and guard against fraudulent claims.
He said the verification process was designed to ensure that only genuine beneficiaries received compensation and alternative plots under the settlement programme.
The commissioner further referred to a Kano State High Court judgment delivered on August 18, 2026, which he said reinforced the government’s position on the affected land.
According to him, the court declared the acquisition of the affected land at Rimin Zakara Gapas for overriding public interest lawful and valid, restrained unauthorised occupation and development, and directed affected third parties to vacate illegal developments.
He said the court also directed the government to compensate verified claims and authorised lawful clearance upon compliance with the compensation requirements.
Umar added that the court directed the Nigeria Police Force and other relevant security agencies to provide necessary assistance to ensure compliance with the judgment.
He said the Ministry of Land and Physical Planning would continue processing beneficiaries who had been properly screened and vetted, but warned that outstanding compensation would not confer any right to continue occupying land already covered by the settlement.
“Where any person deliberately obstructs implementation, re-enters declared land, commences fresh construction, or attempts to sell BUK or government land, government will enforce the law firmly and decisively,” Umar warned.
The Vice-Chancellor of Bayero University, Kano, Professor Haruna Musa, represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academics, Professor Ahmad Muhammad Tsauni, welcomed the resolution of the dispute and commended the Kano State Government for its intervention.
Tsauni described Rimin Zakara as a close neighbour of the university, noting that many residents of the community worked at BUK and had benefited from the institution’s educational programmes.
“Many of them are our workers. Many of them did our staff school. The university has scholarships for their wards, so we are just like one family,” he said.
He expressed appreciation to Governor Yusuf for his leadership and personal commitment towards resolving the longstanding dispute, while also commending Commissioner Abduljabbar Muhammad Umar and his team for their efforts.
Tsauni said the university understood that the state government had identified and screened claimants and committed billions of naira towards compensation.
“With the settlement of the claimants’ compensation, therefore, the issue of the community’s claim over the Bayero University land has effectively been addressed,” he said.
He added that BUK was particularly pleased with the development, saying the resolution had brought the institution closer to the final stage of the process.
The university representative said discussions would continue with the state government on outstanding issues, including the demarcation of BUK’s boundaries, official documentation of the compensation exercise, regularisation of the university’s title and Certificate of Occupancy, permission to fence the university, demolition of remaining illegal structures on BUK land and possible state government support for the construction of a perimeter wall.
Tsauni described the settlement as a significant milestone and evidence that longstanding disputes could be resolved through dialogue, commitment, mutual understanding and goodwill.
He said the university looked forward to concluding the remaining issues in an atmosphere of transparency, fairness, sincerity and mutual respect.
Speaking on behalf of the Rimin Zakara landowners, Alhaji Baba Habu commended the Kano State Government for intervening to resolve the longstanding dispute.
Habu expressed appreciation to Governor Yusuf and the Ministry of Land and Physical Planning for taking steps to settle an issue that had persisted through several administrations.
He acknowledged the length and complexity of the dispute and said the government’s intervention had provided an opportunity for the affected communities and Bayero University to move forward.
He urged all stakeholders to support the peaceful implementation of the settlement and ensure that the resolution achieved by the government was not undermined.
The development marks a significant turning point in one of Kano State’s longest-running land disputes, with the state government maintaining that the settlement is final, genuine beneficiaries will be protected, BUK’s remaining land will be secured and the law will be enforced against further encroachment
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