Governor Uba Sani says Kaduna was under siege and was held to ransom by rampaging bandits when he assumed office in 2023.

“As you know Mr President when we assumed office in 2023, Kaduna State was under siege, a land flanked by banditry and deep-rooted mistrust, our villages, once vibrant hub for agriculture and culture, had become shadows of former self,” said Mr Sani on Thursday during President Bola Tinubu’s visit to Kaduna to inaugurate some infrastructural projects.

Mr Sani said several parts of Kaduna were criminal hubs under the previous administration, noting his administration did not waver in its efforts to ensure the security of lives and properties.

Thanking the president for his continued support, the governor said, “Our highways were turned to criminal zones, but we did not surrender because we understood that security is the foundation upon which all other progress depends. Without it development will be a mirage.”

Mr Sani also hailed Mr Tinubu for supporting his administration in the smooth implementation of its master plan for transportation, assuring the president of his readiness to utilise all the commissioned resources for the benefit of the Kaduna people.

“Mr President, Kaduna State is grateful to you for supporting the smooth implementation of our master plan on transportation. True to your words, you provided a sum of One hundred billion naira in the 2025 budget for the construction of the Kaduna Light Rail Transit,” Mr Sani added.

Similarly, Mr Tinubu, in his address, lauded Mr Sani for transforming the state, which he described as “toxic” under former Governor Nasir El-Rufai. The president commended the governor for outperforming his predecessor.

“Uba Sani has performed wonders and changed the environment from a previous toxic, uncontrollable environment to a state of life, progress, and development. I say thank you, my comrade,” Mr Tinubu said.

Security in Kaduna plummeted drastically during Mr El-Rufai’s administration, with abductors and insurgents taking over many parts of the state and unleashing mayhem on innocent people, including women and children.

The former APC chieftain blamed insecurity in the state on criminal elements killing, kidnapping people and rustling cattle in the entire North-West region.