Kano Govt Ends 50-Year BUK-Rimin Zakara Land Dispute

The Kano State Government has declared an end to the decades-long land dispute between Bayero University Kano and communities around Rimin Zakara and Rijiyar Zaki, saying over 6,000 claims have been processed under its compensation and resettlement programme.

The declaration was made on Monday by the Commissioner for Project Monitoring and Evaluation, Nura Iro Ma’aji, who represented Governor Abba Yusuf at the event.

Yusuf said the dispute had lasted almost 50 years, resulting in litigation, mistrust, encroachment and violent confrontations, which affected the development of the university and, at various times, led to loss of lives.

“Today, we are not here to recount the history of Rimin Zakara. We are here to close it,” the governor said.
He said the government had adopted “justice with compassion” by protecting BUK’s interests while addressing the plight of residents who purchased land in good faith.

According to him, the state government committed billions of naira to compensation and resettlement, while BUK conceded portions of land originally reserved for future expansion.
Yusuf said more than 85 per cent of BUK’s landholding remained preserved for the university’s present and future development.

He warned that the settlement should not be interpreted as government approval of illegal land transactions, stressing that compensation to innocent purchasers must not become “a business model for land grabbers.”

The Commissioner for Land and Physical Planning, Abduljabbar Umar, said more than 6,000 claims and interests had been identified and processed, with residential plots allocated to verified beneficiaries under the approved Rimin Zakara/Rijiyar Zaki and Jajira/Garun-Iya schemes.

Umar said the dispute stemmed from government’s acquisition of the land in the 1980s for BUK’s establishment and future expansion, but unresolved compensation, ancestral claims and boundary issues were aggravated by urbanisation, illegal occupation and speculative transactions.

He said the High Court of Justice No. 11, in Suit No. K/M1638/2026, delivered on August 18, upheld the acquisition for overriding public interest, ordered compensation for verified claims and authorised lawful clearance after compensation requirements were met.

Umar said from August 31, land within BUK’s finally surveyed and demarcated boundaries would be protected exclusively for the university, warning that illegal occupants, developers and land sellers would face legal action.