The Ondo State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Kayode Ajulo, SAN, has declared that the state has zero tolerance for corruption in the public service.

Ajulo, who described corruption as an evil, said the state government stood firmly against it. The commissioner stated this on Monday in Akure, the state capital, while speaking at the Post-NBA General Justice Reform 2026, themed ‘Raising the Bar.’

He said: “Let me state this clearly and without ambiguity, ‎Ondo State stands firmly against corruption in all its forms. Corruption is not a victimless offence. ‎It steals from the poor. ‎It weakens institutions. ‎It destroys public trust. ‎It diverts resources meant for roads, schools, hospitals, security and human development. ‎It rewards dishonesty and punishes integrity. ‎That is why the state cannot and will not treat corruption as normal, acceptable or inevitable.”

‎Ajulo emphasised that the position of the state government on corruption was that public office was a trust, not a private opportunity, stressing that government contracts must not become instruments for personal enrichment.

He continued: ‎”Public resources must not be diverted for private gain. ‎Processes must not be manipulated to favour friends, associates or political allies and no person—however powerful, connected or influential—should consider himself above the law. ‎Our anti-corruption position is not about persecution. ‎It is about accountability. ‎It is about transparency; it is about protecting the commonwealth. It is about ensuring that every naira entrusted to government is applied for the benefit of the people.”

‎The commissioner vowed that the state government would continue to strengthen due process, improve contract scrutiny, insist on proper authorisation, protect public assets and support lawful investigations and prosecutions where wrongdoing was established.

Declaring the event open, the state governor, Mr Lucky Aiyedatiwa, who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Mr. Segun Omojuwa, said his administration was committed to strengthening the state judiciary.

According to him, his administration amended the law to increase the number of High Court judges from 24 to 35, which he described as the first such increase since the creation of Ondo State in 1976.

The governor also disclosed that the state had facilitated the employment of 44 additional lawyers into the state’s legal service, as well as approved a review of magistrates’ remuneration.

He listed other interventions, including the establishment of an Anti-Land Grabbing Task Force, which the governor described as one of the most impactful initiatives of his administration.

He further disclosed that in May 2026, the Ondo State House of Assembly passed amendments to the Ondo State Law Commission Law, 2001, and the Ondo State Office of the Public Defender Law, 2024, designed to strengthen the administrative and institutional structures of the two agencies and improve access to justice for indigent and vulnerable citizens.

He said, “Ondo State is governed by the rule of law, and not by whims and caprices. We believe that government must operate within the framework of the law, institutions must be respected, and every citizen, irrespective of status, must have confidence that justice, fairness and due process will prevail.”

He charged law officers to see themselves not merely as government employees but as custodians of justice and advisers to government, urging them to advise fearlessly, professionally and objectively while defending the legitimate interests of the state in a manner consistent with law, justice and the public interest.

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