Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State, has approved the recruitment of 500 new personnel into the State Security Network Agency, codenamed Amotekun Corps, as part of efforts to strengthen the state’s security architecture amid rising national security challenges.
The governor announced the approval on Friday during the inauguration of a new cohort of Justices of the Peace (JPs) held in Akure, the state capital.
Aiyedatiwa explained that after nearly 17 years of inactivity, his administration decided to revive the office of the JPs to give citizens a more active role in local justice delivery.
A total of 130 appointees, drawn from various sectors, were sworn in to reflect the diversity and inclusiveness central to his grassroots justice reform agenda.
Read Also: Religious genocide: Minister charges CSOs to help correct misinformation about Nigeria
Describing the ceremony as a turning point in reinforcing justice at the grassroots, the governor said the initiative aligns with the “Order, Security and the Rule of Law” pillar of his administration’s OUR EASE agenda.
Aiyedatiwa urged the new JPs to help enhance security, peace, and justice in their communities, reminding them that the office is a “sacred responsibility” requiring integrity, wisdom, and fairness.
He also highlighted ongoing judicial reforms in the state, including the recruitment of additional state counsels, expansion of the judiciary, and the near completion of a new Judiciary Complex featuring a ceremonial court, modular courts and a library intended to fast-track justice delivery.
In his remarks, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Kayode Ajulo, traced the origin of the JP institution to 14th-century England and its evolution in Nigeria during the colonial era.