By Rabiu Sanusi
The Kano State Government has formally declared an end to the nearly 50-year-old land dispute between Bayero University Kano (BUK) and communities in Rimin Zakara, Rijiyar Zaki and adjoining areas, following the implementation of a comprehensive compensation and resettlement programme.
The government said the dispute, which originated from the acquisition of land in the 1980s for the establishment and future expansion of BUK’s permanent site, had persisted for decades resulting in prolonged litigation, protests, encroachment, competing ownership claims and security challenges.
According to the government, the crisis had at various times resulted in violent confrontations that caused deaths and injuries before Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf intervened and directed the development of a comprehensive solution aimed at protecting the university, compensating genuine victims and restoring lasting peace.
Under the settlement programme, more than 6,000 claims and interests were identified and processed, while residential plots were reserved and allocated to verified beneficiaries under the approved Rimin Zakara/Rijiyar Zaki and Jajira/Garun-Iya schemes. Monetary compensation for eligible claims and structures is also being processed.
Speaking on behalf of BUK, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ahmed Muhammad Tsauni, commended the Kano State Government for what he described as a lasting solution to the long-running dispute.
He said the university had maintained a close relationship with the affected communities, noting that many residents of Rimin Zakara, including a significant number of its sub-staff, were connected to BUK.
Tsauni also recalled that BUK had provided scholarships to members of the Rimin Zakara community, expressing optimism that the resolution would allow the university and the affected communities to move forward peacefully.
He, however, appealed to the state government to complete the necessary administrative documentation and support the construction of a perimeter fence around the university’s land to prevent future encroachment.
The Kano State Government said the settlement had preserved more than 85 per cent of BUK’s landholding for its present and future academic, research, residential and infrastructural development.
It acknowledged that the university made a significant sacrifice by accepting the excision of portions of land originally reserved for its long-term expansion in the interest of lasting peace.
Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, represented at the occasion by the Commissioner for Public Procurement, Projects Monitoring and Evaluation, Dr Nura Iro Ma’aji, commended BUK for its patience and cooperation throughout the prolonged dispute.
He said the intervention formed part of the administration’s broader efforts to address challenges affecting residents while promoting justice, development and peaceful coexistence.
The government explained that the compensation should not be interpreted as recognition of private sale agreements as valid titles to BUK or government land.
It said investigations showed that some individuals had entered portions of land reserved for BUK, subdivided them and allegedly sold them to members of the public without lawful authority.
However, the government said many purchasers acquired the properties in good faith, unaware that the sellers lacked lawful title.
Some had invested their life savings, borrowed money, sold assets or spent years constructing homes on the disputed land.
Governor Yusuf therefore directed the compensation as an extraordinary humanitarian intervention based on compassion, equity and overriding public interest, stressing that the payment did not legalise unlawful transactions.
Governor Yusuf also warned land racketeers, land grabbers and other individuals against exploiting the settlement to create fresh disputes.
He directed residents and stakeholders to respect the boundaries established under the agreement, warning that anyone found unlawfully occupying, selling, allocating or developing protected land would face the full force of the law.
The government said the settlement had been reinforced by a judgment of High Court of Justice No. 11 in Suit No. K/M1638/2026, delivered on August 18, 2026. It said the court upheld the acquisition of the affected land at Rimin Zakara Gabas for overriding public interest, directed that verified claims be compensated, restrained unauthorised occupation and development, and authorised lawful clearance after compliance with compensation requirements.
A leader of the Rimin Zakara community, Malam Habu, expressed appreciation to the state government for its intervention and apologised for any wrongdoing committed by members of the community during the prolonged dispute.
The government, meanwhile, said compensation processing would continue for genuinely verified beneficiaries whose administrative payments remained outstanding, but stressed that pending payment would not confer any right to continue occupying land already determined under the settlement.
Effective August 31, 2026, the government said all land within the finally surveyed and demarcated boundaries reserved for BUK would be protected exclusively for the university’s institutional use and development, while land reserved for government roads, infrastructure, layouts and other public purposes would also remain protected.
It warned that no individual, agents, association or community representative would be permitted to sell, allocate, transfer or construct on the protected land as the state moves ahead with clearance and enforcement to ensure the decades-old dispute does not return.