The Ekiti State Government has commenced the recruitment of over 500 personnel into the Amotekun Corps, Agro-Marshals, and the Anti-Grazing Task Force.
The exercise, which began at the Ekiti Parapo Pavilion in Ado-Ekiti was decisive move to enhance the security of lives and property across.
The exercise also aims to strengthen the state’s capacity to tackle criminal activities, enforce anti-grazing laws, and safeguard farmers in rural areas.
Special Adviser to the Governor Biodun Oyebanji on Security Matters, Brigadier-General Ebenezer Ogundana (rtd), who spoke during the screening described the initiative as a strategic step.
He said Oyebanji aim to reinforce grassroots security and ensure the protection of government infrastructure and farmlands.
“This recruitment is not only a response to rising security threats but also a proactive effort to realise the state government’s agricultural vision,” Ogundana said.
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“We are deploying local resources to protect local communities. With familiarisation of the terrain, these personnel will enhance surveillance and intelligence gathering.”
According to him, the new recruits, drawn from all local government areas in the state with the input of community leaders, will undergo comprehensive training before being deployed to their respective areas.
The aim, he said, is to equip them with the skills needed to respond professionally and effectively to security challenges.
Ogundana stressed that the expanded corps would also help address the growing menace of open grazing, which has been a major source of conflict between farmers and herders.
“Since many of the forests once used as criminal hideouts have now been converted into farmlands under the Governor’s agricultural employment drive, it is critical to secure those areas. Increasing the strength of Amotekun is part of that protection strategy,” he added.
The recruitment is seen as a significant boost to the state’s community-based security architecture and a key component of Oyebanji’s efforts to secure rural development and investment in agriculture.
