By Zubairu Idris
The Kaduna State Government has retrieved 500,000 hectares of land from bandits in the last three years, the Commissioner of Information, Mr Ahmed Maiyaki, said.
The commissioner disclosed this in an interview with BBC Hausa Service, monitored by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Kano.
He said that the feat followed successful implementation of the Kaduna Peace Model, which was accepted by all security agencies operating in the state.
Maiyaki said farmers have returned to their farms this year, which were hitherto abandoned as a result of insecurity.
He said the lands were reclaimed along Birnin Gwari, Chikun, Kachia and other local governments experiencing security challenge in the past.
He added that “there is improved security in those areas now, our farmers can now go to their farms and work, unlike before.
“Thousands of farmers have planted crops in the farms they abandoned for nine years.”
The commissioner explained that “even though the government cannot claim to have recorded 100 per cent success, but there is improvement.
“We cannot say that we have recorded 100 per cent success; farming that was never done in recent years has resumed.”
He, however, noted that there are still pockets of cases around the state “because Kaduna is sharing border with some states that are still facing challenges, especially from Niger, Zamfara and Katsina states.
“We still have pockets of problems, but government is working with these states to address the issues.”(NAN)
Edited by Hadiza Mohammed-Aliyu