The Kano State Government has formally declared an end to the 50-years Long land Disputes between Bayero University Kano (BUK) and the Rimin Zakara, Rijiyar Zaki and adjoining communities, following the implementation of a comprehensive compensation and resettlement programme.
The government said the dispute, which dates back to the acquisition of land in the 1980s for the establishment and future expansion of BUK’s permanent site, had persisted for nearly five decades, resulting in prolonged litigation, protests, encroachment, conflicting ownership claims and security challenges.
The prolonged crisis also led to confrontations, including incidents that resulted in deaths and injuries, before Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf intervened and directed the development of a comprehensive and lasting solution.
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.
The government said the settlement was guided by three major objectives: protecting Bayero University Kano, compensating genuine victims of the historical situation and restoring lasting peace.
BUK Commends Kano Govt
Speaking on behalf of Bayero University Kano, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ahmed Muhammad Tsauni, commended the Kano State Government for finding what he described as a lasting solution to the nearly five-decade land dispute between the university and the Rimin Zakara/Rijiyar Zaki communities.
Tsauni said BUK had maintained a close relationship with members of the affected communities over the years, noting that the university hosts many residents of Rimin Zakara, including a significant number of its sub-staff.
He added that the university had also provided scholarships to many members of the Rimin Zakara community.
According to him, the resolution of the dispute would provide an opportunity for the university and the affected communities to move forward in peace and pursue their respective development objectives.
The Deputy Vice-Chancellor, however, appealed for the completion of some administrative and security measures following the settlement.
He called for the transfer of all necessary documents between Bayero University and the Kano State Government to ensure proper documentation of the settlement.
Tsauni also requested the state government’s approval for the construction of a perimeter fence around the university’s land to safeguard the institution’s property from future encroachment.
He further appealed to the Kano State Government to assist the university in constructing the fence, saying the measure would help protect the university’s land and prevent a recurrence of the dispute.
Kano State Government Preserves Over 85 Per Cent Of BUK Land
The Kano State Government said the settlement preserved more than 85 per cent of BUK’s landholding for its present and future academic, research, residential and infrastructural development.
It also acknowledged that BUK had 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.
The government expressed appreciation to the university for its patience, understanding and cooperation throughout the process.
It said the state had committed billions of naira towards compensation, resettlement, planning, surveying, infrastructure and administration.
Yusuf Commends BUK For Patience
Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, who was represented at the occasion by the Commissioner for Public Procurement, Projects Monitoring and Evaluation, Dr Nura Iro Ma’aji, commended Bayero University Kano for its patience throughout the prolonged crisis.
The governor’s representative said the resolution formed part of the state government’s broader efforts to address challenges affecting the people of Kano State.
He outlined various achievements recorded by the administration in sectors including education, healthcare, infrastructure, water supply and human development, while describing the resolution of the BUK–Rimin Zakara dispute as another major milestone.
According to him, the government’s intervention was aimed at ensuring justice, protecting public institutions and preventing further hardship and conflict among residents.
Governor Warns Land Racketeers
Governor Yusuf also issued a strong warning to land racketeers and land grabbers, cautioning them against attempting to exploit the settlement or create fresh disputes.
He warned that anybody found attempting to reintroduce conflict, unlawfully occupy the land or cause trouble following the resolution would face the full force of the law.
The governor urged residents and other stakeholders to respect the boundaries established under the settlement and allow the process to bring lasting peace to the affected areas.
Why Government Agreed To Compensation
The government clarified that the compensation programme should not be interpreted as recognition of private agreements as valid titles to BUK or government land.
It explained that investigations revealed that some individuals had entered portions of land reserved for BUK, subdivided them and purportedly sold them to members of the public without lawful authority.
Many claimants presented private sale agreements and acknowledgements between sellers and purchasers. The government said such documents did not constitute valid statutory or customary titles capable of transferring ownership of BUK or government land.
However, it acknowledged that many purchasers acquired the properties in good faith and without knowing that the individuals selling the land lacked lawful title.
Some purchasers, according to the government, invested their life savings, borrowed money, sold assets or spent years constructing homes on the land.
Governor Yusuf therefore directed the settlement as an extraordinary humanitarian intervention, aimed at protecting innocent citizens from severe social and economic hardship.
The government stressed that the compensation did not validate unlawful land transactions but was based on compassion, equity and overriding public interest.
Rimin Zakara Community Leader Apologises
Also speaking, a leader of the Rimin Zakara community, Malam Habu, expressed appreciation to the Kano State Government for its intervention and the steps taken to resolve the crisis.
Habu also apologized to the state government for any wrongdoing committed by members of the community during the prolonged dispute.
He appealed to residents to embrace the settlement and support efforts to maintain peace between the community and Bayero University Kano.
Compensation Process To Continue
The government said declaring the dispute closed would not mean abandoning genuinely verified beneficiaries whose administrative payment processes remained outstanding.
It explained that the Ministry of Land and Physical Planning would continue processing beneficiaries who had been properly screened by the ministry and vetted by relevant security agencies.
However, it warned that an outstanding compensation payment would not confer any right to continue occupying land already determined under the settlement.
BUK Land Protected
The government announced that, effective August 31, 2026, all land within the finally surveyed and demarcated boundaries reserved for Bayero University Kano would be protected exclusively for the university’s institutional use and development.
Land reserved for government roads, infrastructure, layouts and other public purposes would equally remain protected from further encroachment.
No individual, land agent, association or community representative would be authorised to sell, allocate, transfer, construct upon or otherwise interfere with land within the protected boundaries.
Clearance And Enforcement
With implementation of the compensation and resettlement programme underway, the government said it would proceed with the clearance of areas lawfully required to be recovered.
It urged all stakeholders to cooperate with the process.
The government warned that deliberate obstruction, re-entry into cleared land, fresh construction or attempts to sell BUK or government land would attract firm enforcement of the law.
The government also said the resolution had been reinforced by a judgment of High Court of Justice No. 11 in Suit No. K/M1638/2026, delivered on August 18, 2026.
According to the government, the court upheld the acquisition of the affected land at Rimin Zakara Gabas for overriding public interest and directed that verified claims be compensated.
The court also restrained unauthorised occupation and development and authorised lawful clearance after compliance with the compensation requirement.
With the government, BUK and community representatives now expressing support for the settlement, attention is expected to shift towards completing compensation, implementing the resettlement arrangements, transferring relevant documents and securing the university’s remaining land against future encroachment.