Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, has said journalist Bagauda Kaltho was killed by the military junta during Nigeria’s military era.

Kaltho, known for his investigative reporting, went missing between late 1996 and early 1997 under the regime of former Head of State, Sani Abacha.

His disappearance has remained a subject of controversy, with calls over the years for a fresh investigation.

In 2024, a Federal High Court in Abuja ordered the Federal Government to investigate and prosecute the killers of journalists in Nigeria between 1986 and 2023, including Kaltho.

Further recognition came in 2025 when President Bola Tinubu conferred a posthumous national honour of Officer of the Order of the Niger on Kaltho, which his family described as a vindication of his legacy and a rebuttal of longstanding misinformation about his disappearance.

Speaking while receiving journalists on a tour of the North-West organised by the Presidency in Kaduna on Friday, Sani, while recounting events leading to Kaltho’s death, said the late journalist attended a meeting with pro-democracy activists in Kaduna before he was killed.

“We had a meeting, myself, Shehu Sani, and many other comrades, together with Bagauda Kaltho, here in Kaduna.

He cited major infrastructure projects approved for Kaduna State, including a proposed 50-kilometre light rail project estimated at N1tn, as well as the Mandu–Birnin Gwari Road project, valued at N178bn.

Speaking, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, commended Sani for what he described as visible development strides across Kaduna State, attributing the progress to reforms introduced by Tinubu.

He said the projects and achievements showcased during the visit reflected only “a tip of the iceberg” of what the Kaduna State Government had accomplished.

According to him, Sani has demonstrated that he is not an armchair critic but a leader capable of translating ideas into action.

“What we have seen today shows that he will walk the talk. He has done those things he had always advocated,” Onanuga said.

The presidential aide expressed surprise that some communities in the state had lacked basic infrastructure for decades, noting that the current administration had changed the narrative by extending development across the state.

He cited areas such as Kafanchan as examples of previously underserved communities now witnessing government presence.

Onanuga also linked the progress in Kaduna to economic reforms introduced by the Tinubu administration, particularly the removal of fuel subsidy and foreign exchange adjustments.

He said the policies had freed up resources for states, enabling them to undertake developmental projects.

“The money being given to states is now being put to use. What we have seen in Kaduna is evidence of that,” he said.

He added that both the Federal Government and the Kaduna State Government were delivering on their mandates, noting that the tour was aimed at assessing the impact of policies and projects at both levels.