Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, has appealed to President Bola Tinubu and the Nigerian Army to locate the headquarters of the newly created 83 Division in the state.
Oborevwori made the appeal on Tuesday when he received a delegation from the Nigerian Army Headquarters, led by the Chief of Army Standards and Evaluation, Major-General Thompson Ugiagbe, during a stakeholders’ consultation on the realignment of the Army’s Areas of Responsibility.
The governor argued that Delta was best positioned to host the headquarters because of its strategic location and the concentration of critical oil, gas and other national assets in the state.
He said locating the division headquarters in Delta would enable the Army to respond faster to security threats not only in the state but also in Edo and Bayelsa, which would form part of the division’s area of responsibility.
“Delta State is more central. Somebody coming from Edo will come through Delta, while somebody coming from Bayelsa to Edo will also pass through Delta. If the headquarters is located here, everybody can connect to the centre,” the governor said.
Oborevwori also drew attention to the state’s strategic infrastructure, including airports and seaports.
“We have three airports in Asaba, Osubi and Escravos, and we also have seaports in Warri, Burutu, Sapele and Koko. These are critical assets that require security,” he said.
The governor said Delta remained a major contributor to Nigeria’s oil and gas industry, adding that the protection of its strategic assets required a stronger military presence.
He urged the Army delegation to recommend Delta for the headquarters, assuring the military that the state government was ready to provide land, temporary facilities and other support required for the take-off of the formation.
“This is not a passive appeal for the constitution of the division. It is a request for partnership from a state that understands what is at stake,” Oborevwori said.
The governor said his administration had previously provided land and infrastructure support for military formations in the state and would continue to cooperate with the Nigerian Army.
He also noted that Delta had produced several senior military officers, including retired generals, saying the location of the division headquarters in the state would further recognise their contributions to national service.
Earlier, Ugiagbe said the visit was part of the Army’s consultations following President Tinubu’s approval for the expansion of the Nigerian Army from eight to 12 divisions.
He said the new 83 Division would oversee Delta, Edo and Bayelsa states, while additional formations would be established to strengthen security coverage.
According to him, Delta will retain the 63 Brigade headquarters in Asaba, as well as the three battalions in Warri, the 90 Amphibious Battalion and the 181 Battalion.
He added that three additional formations would also be established in the state.
These include the 246 Reconnaissance Battalion, already established in Oleh, a Field Artillery Regiment and an Air Defence Regiment.
Ugiagbe said the Field Artillery Regiment was proposed to be located close to the brigade headquarters, while the Air Defence Regiment was being considered for Osubi because of its strategic location and proximity to critical infrastructure.
“The Air Defence Regiment provides large coverage for critical assets like airports, refineries and other critical national infrastructure,” he said.
The Army chief appealed to the state government to provide temporary facilities and land for the new formations while permanent infrastructure was being developed.
He said the Army would work with relevant state agencies to identify, map and properly document the required land.
Ugiagbe added that the restructuring was designed to improve the geographical spread of military formations, strengthen security coverage and reduce response time to threats across the 83 Division’s area of responsibility.
