Kaduna State government has hinted that bandits once controlled rural communities, imposing taxes, dictating farming activities and even collecting bride prices.

The state commissioner for Information and Culture, Ahmed Maiyaki, revealed that the kinetic and non-kinetic approaches to tackling insecurity had yielded results, with the government recovering over 500,000 hectares of farmland from bandits over the last three years.

At a gala night organised by the Kano Correspondents' Chapel as part of its annual retreat in Kaduna, Maiyaki explained that the administration had empowered traditional rulers, religious leaders, youth groups and other stakeholders to play active roles in the fight against insecurity.

According to Maiyaki, between 2023 and early 2026, 75 potential threats were detected, of which 70 were addressed, thereby preventing communal or religious clashes.

"It was so bad that farmers could not go to their farms. But today, with community-led security and early warning systems, peace has returned, and our farmers are back on the land," he said.