Kaduna State has scored a major victory against banditry, reclaiming an astounding 500,000 hectares of farmland that had been occupied and controlled by criminal elements. This massive recovery, announced by the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), is being celebrated as a crucial step towards restoring peace and economic stability to the state.
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, or HURIWA as they're commonly known, hailed Governor Uba Sani for this significant achievement. In a statement released on Tuesday, the association’s National Coordinator, Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko, described the land recovery as a “security, humanitarian and economic milestone.” This means thousands of residents who were forced to flee their homes and farms due to relentless bandit attacks can now hopefully return and rebuild their lives.
HURIWA pointed out that this isn't just about numbers; it's about bringing back the dignity and economic independence of citizens. When armed groups seize control of rural communities, it doesn't just lead to people being chased out. It destroys livelihoods, disrupts the food supply chain, cripples local economies, and stops children from going to school. Families get torn apart. This recovery, therefore, offers a chance to mend some of that damage.
The association commended the Kaduna State Government and the security agencies for their hard work in creating the safer conditions that allowed farmers to get back to their fields. Farming is the backbone for so many families in rural Kaduna, providing jobs and income. Getting this land back is a big deal for the state's food security and its economy.
HURIWA also sounded a note of caution. They urged Governor Sani to keep the momentum going and make sure the recovered lands and communities are truly given back to their rightful owners. They called for a thorough plan – a “recover, restore and rebuild” programme – to find the displaced people, sort out who owns what, and help them return safely and with dignity.
To make sure this recovery sticks, HURIWA stressed the need for more than just reclaiming the land. They want the government to ensure that returning communities get basic necessities like good roads, schools, healthcare, clean water, and electricity. Without these, people might be vulnerable to being displaced all over again. They also asked for special support for farmers, like access to essential farming supplies, loans, and equipment, especially for those who lost valuable productive years to the insecurity.
Peace, HURIWA argued, isn't just won on the battlefield. Lasting peace requires ongoing dialogue, a sense of justice, reconciliation, trust within communities, and a working system to sort out problems before they turn violent. They also nudged the security agencies to hunt down and prosecute the bandits responsible.
The association didn't forget the bigger picture, appealing to the Federal Government to give states the necessary intelligence, equipment, and manpower to stop bandits and terrorists from regrouping. For HURIWA, the real test of success won’t be the number of hectares recovered, but whether displaced residents can truly return home, farm, send their children to school, and run their businesses without fear.
They are watching to see if Governor Sani can maintain these security gains until the recovered communities are genuinely safe and the people who were forced out can rebuild their lives with their heads held high.
Over 500,000 hectares of farmland recovered. HURIWA hailed Governor Uba Sani for the achievement. Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko is the National Coordinator of HURIWA. The recovery aims to restore livelihoods and food security.