KNSG Declares End to 40-Year BUK–Rimin Zakara Land Dispute
By Maikudi Muhammad Marafa
The Kano State Government has officially declared the end of the decades-long Bayero University Kano (BUK)–Rimin Zakara land dispute, bringing to a close one of the most complex and protracted land conflicts in the state’s history.
Making the declaration in a final address on the resolution of the dispute, the Kano State Government said the settlement represents a landmark achievement in restoring peace, protecting public interest and securing the future expansion of Bayero University Kano.
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The Government recalled that the dispute, which began following the acquisition of land in the 1980s for the permanent site of Bayero University Kano, had for more than four decades generated litigation, protests, conflicting ownership claims, encroachments, security challenges and, in some cases, loss of lives and injuries.
It explained that unresolved issues surrounding compensation, ancestral interests and land boundaries were further compounded by rapid urbanisation, illegal occupation, speculative land transactions and the activities of unauthorized land agents who unlawfully sold portions of land reserved for the university.
According to the Government, the situation reached a critical stage following violent confrontations in early 2025, prompting Governor Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf to direct that a comprehensive, lawful, humane and permanent solution be implemented.
A High-Level Committee was subsequently established to engage Bayero University Kano, affected communities, claimants, security agencies and other stakeholders. The committee examined historical records, verified claims, conducted surveys and assessed competing interests before submitting recommendations that were approved by the Kano State Executive Council.
The Government stated that the overriding objective of the intervention was to protect Bayero University Kano, compensate genuine victims, restore peace and permanently resolve the crisis.
It disclosed that more than 6,000 claims and interests were identified and processed under the settlement programme, with verified beneficiaries allocated residential plots in the approved Rimin Zakara/Rijiyar Zaki and Jajira/Garun-Iya layouts, while compensation for eligible claims and structures is currently being processed.
The Government further revealed that the settlement preserved more than 85 percent of Bayero University Kano’s land for present and future academic, research, residential and infrastructural development, while billions of naira have been committed to compensation, resettlement, planning, surveying and infrastructure.
The Government commended Bayero University Kano for demonstrating exceptional institutional responsibility by accepting the excision of portions of land originally reserved for its future expansion in the interest of lasting peace and social stability.
Clarifying the rationale behind the compensation exercise, the Government stressed that the programme does not validate illegal land transactions, noting that many affected residents unknowingly purchased land from individuals who lacked legal ownership.
It explained that Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf approved the humanitarian intervention out of compassion, equity and overriding public interest to protect innocent citizens who invested their savings in good faith without knowledge of defects in the transactions.
The Government also warned against attempts by land agents and intermediaries to manipulate the compensation process, assuring verified beneficiaries that anyone whose compensation card was withheld by an agent would undergo revalidation and receive replacement documentation directly from the Government.
It added that anyone found collecting, withholding, selling or unlawfully dealing with compensation documents would be prosecuted in accordance with the law.
The Government noted that the settlement has been further strengthened by the judgment of the High Court of Justice No. 11 in Suit No. K/M1638/2026 delivered on 18 August 2026, which affirmed the legality of the land acquisition, ordered the removal of illegal developments, directed compensation for verified claimants and authorized security agencies to enforce compliance.
Accordingly, the Government announced that with effect from 31 August 2026, all land within the officially surveyed boundaries reserved for Bayero University Kano shall remain exclusively for the University’s development, while land designated for roads, infrastructure and other public purposes will also remain protected from encroachment.
It warned that no individual, association, agent or community representative has the authority to allocate, sell, transfer or develop land within the protected areas, adding that any attempt to obstruct implementation, re-enter recovered land or commence fresh construction would attract decisive legal action.
While declaring the dispute officially resolved, the Government assured that the Ministry of Land and Physical Planning would continue processing outstanding compensation for all verified beneficiaries who have completed the required screening and security clearance, emphasizing that pending payments do not confer any right to continue occupying land covered by the settlement.
The Kano State Government called on the people of Rimin Zakara and Rijiyar Zaki, Bayero University Kano, traditional and community leaders, beneficiaries, security agencies, the media and the general public to support the full implementation of the historic settlement.
The Government described the resolution as the successful conclusion of a crisis that lasted for nearly five decades and prayed for lasting peace, justice and sustainable development across Kano State.
