Ekiti State Government on Monday said it has begun the process of recruiting over 500 personnel into the Amotekun Corps, Agro-Marshals, and Anti-Grazing Task Force to enhance the security of lives and property across the state.

The government said the recruitment began in Ado-Ekiti on Tuesday.

Speaking with journalist during the screening exercise held at the Ekiti Parapo Pavilion in Ado- Ekiti, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Security Matters, Brigadier-Gen Ogundana Ebenezer (rtd), said the exercise is a critical step towards beefing up the security architecture of the state and expand personnel aimed at addressing the growing security challenges across the country, particularly in rural communities.

General Ogundana said the move underscored the state government’s dedication to enhancing the operational capacity of local security outfits to combat crime, protect the agricultural sector and rural communities, as well as address the security concerns related to open grazing, thereby contributing to the reduction of farmers-herders conflicts.

He emphasized that the recruitment drive is not only a response to security threats but also a proactive step in ensuring the realisation of the government’s vision for a robust agricultural sector by strengthening security around the farms and in the grassroots.

“The screening exercise going on here today is for those who have been shortlisted to be recruited into Amotekun, Agro-Marshals, and Anti-Grazing Corps in Ekiti State, which is a proactive measure by Governor Oyebanji to recruit more men into the local security outfits,” he said.

“The young men that turned up for the exercise were drawn from across all the local government areas of the state with input from their community leaders.”