Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori has said the establishment of an Air Defence Regiment under the Nigerian Army’s 83 Division in the state will strengthen security, protect critical national assets and accelerate development.

Oborevwori made the remark on Thursday when he inspected facilities and ongoing works for the unit.

He was accompanied by the Chief of Standards and Evaluation of the Nigerian Army, Major General Thompson Ugiagbe, and the Commander of the 63 Brigade, Brigadier General Ibrahim Buhari. The governor said his administration was committed to giving the military and other security agencies the support they require.

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He noted that the newly created 83 Division, which covers Delta, Edo and Bayelsa states, would significantly boost the Nigerian Army’s capacity to respond to security threats across the three states.

According to Oborevwori, the division has several component units, including an Air Defence unit, whose siting in Delta was considered necessary because of the state’s strategic location and its closeness to the airport.

He said land had been provided for a temporary facility for the Air Defence unit, while arrangements for a permanent site were being made.

Troops expected within weeks

Oborevwori disclosed that the first batch of military personnel, numbering between 300 and 400, was expected to arrive in the state within the next few weeks.

“We need to support the security agencies because without security, there cannot be development,” he said.

He said crime had fallen in the state, with fewer incidents of armed robbery, kidnapping and other violent offences, which he attributed to the improved security architecture in Delta.

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The governor said the presence of the new military formation would also help safeguard critical national assets, particularly oil and gas infrastructure in the state.

“The most important benefit is to secure national assets and the people. That is the truth. If you don’t have all these security formations here, you know how it will be,” he said.

He commended the Nigerian Army and other security agencies for maintaining peace and protecting lives and property in the state, and said his administration would keep collaborating with them.

That partnership, he said, had contributed to the growing confidence of residents, investors and businesses in Delta.

Assessment of temporary site ordered

Oborevwori recalled his recent visit to the Trans-Forcados pipeline area, where he said residents were pleased with the improved security situation.

He said the state government was working with the military and other stakeholders to ensure the required facilities were provided for the new formation.

The governor directed the Commissioners for Housing and Lands to commence the necessary assessment and scoping of the temporary site, including existing structures that would require attention.

He said the state was ready to play its part to ensure that the Air Defence unit commenced operations within the expected timeframe.

Oborevwori said his administration’s development agenda rests heavily on security, maintaining that no meaningful economic or infrastructural development could be sustained without peace and stability.

He said the establishment of the 83 Division and its component units would therefore further strengthen Delta’s security architecture while enhancing the protection of lives, property and critical national assets.

The governor urged the military and other security agencies to sustain their cooperation with the state government and other stakeholders in the collective interest of Deltans and the nation.