The Delta State Government has said the deployment of an Air Defence unit of the Nigerian Army to the state will strengthen the protection of oil and gas facilities and other critical national assets.
Governor Sheriff Oborevwori disclosed this on Thursday during an inspection of facilities and ongoing works for the establishment of the unit in the state.
Oborevwori, who was accompanied by the Chief of Standards and Evaluation, Nigerian Army, Major General Thompson Ugiagbe, and Commander, 63 Brigade, Brigadier General Ibrahim Buhari, said the first batch of between 300 and 400 military personnel was expected to arrive in Delta within the next few weeks.
He said the establishment of the Air Defence unit was particularly important because of Delta’s strategic location and proximity to the airport, adding that the state had provided land for a temporary facility while arrangements were being made for a permanent site.
“We need to support the security agencies because without security, there cannot be development,” the governor said.
Oborevwori said the new 83 Division, covering Delta, Edo and Bayelsa states, would improve the Army’s ability to respond to security threats across the three states. He added that the presence of the military formation would help protect lives and property as well as critical national assets, especially oil and gas infrastructure.
“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.
The governor said his administration would continue to support the military and other security agencies by providing the facilities needed for the new formation to commence operations as planned.
He also directed the Commissioners for Housing and Lands to assess and scope the temporary site, including existing structures requiring attention.
Oborevwori said improved security had contributed to a reduction in armed robbery, kidnapping and other violent crimes in the state, adding that sustained peace was necessary to attract investors and support economic development.
