KDSG Reclaims Bandit Enclaves as Markets Bounce Back — Maiyaki
By Ahmad Tijjani Abdul
KANO — The Kaduna State Government says a sustained improvement in security has begun to transform communities once paralysed by banditry, with residents returning to their farms and commercial activities gradually regaining momentum across affected areas.
The Commissioner for Information and Culture, Ahmed Maiyaki, said the administration of Governor Uba Sani had, within the past three years, facilitated the recovery of hundreds of previously inaccessible villages and towns, creating space for economic activities to resume in communities that had for years lived under the shadow of armed groups.
Maiyaki who spoke at a gala night organised by his ministry in honour of the visiting members of the Kano Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
The commissioner explained that one of the clearest indications of the security gains is the recovery of more than 500,000 hectares of farmland previously controlled or abandoned because of bandit activities.
He said the development had enabled farmers to return to cultivation and contributed to increased agricultural output across the state.
Maiyaki stated that insecurity had not only disrupted farming but also weakened the economic life of rural communities, as residents were forced to abandon their homes and sources of livelihood.
The Commissioner stressed that with improved security, many of those communities were gradually reclaiming their economic identity, including the revival of local markets and other commercial activities.
“Without security, you cannot achieve anything. Before now, farmers in such areas were unable to go to their farms because of the activities of bandits,” Maiyaki said, stressing that the return of farmers to their fields represented a significant step towards restoring livelihoods and strengthening food production.
The commissioner also said the security situation along the Kaduna-Abuja route had substantially improved, reversing a period when travellers were reluctant to use the road because of the threat of attacks.
He described the change as evidence of the broader impact of the state’s security efforts on movement, commerce and public confidence.
In his remarks, Chairman of the Kano Correspondents’ Chapel, Murtala Adewale, expressed appreciation to the Kaduna State Government for hosting the journalists and commended the initiative as an opportunity to strengthen engagement between the government and the media.