Oborevwori Urges Army to Site 83 Division Headquarters in Delta

Delta State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, has appealed to President Bola Tinubu and the Nigerian Army Headquarters to site the headquarters of the newly created 83 Division of the Nigerian Army in Delta State.

Oborevwori made the appeal when he received a Nigerian Army Headquarters committee on a stakeholders’ consultative visit to the state over the realignment of Areas of Responsibility following the creation of the 83 Division.

The committee was led by the Chief of Army Standards and Evaluation, Major-General Thompson Bobby Ugiagbe.

The governor said Delta was strategically positioned to host the division headquarters because of its central location among Delta, Edo and Bayelsa states and its concentration of critical national oil and gas assets.

“Delta State is more central. Somebody coming from Edo will come through Delta, while somebody from Bayelsa to Edo will also pass through Delta. If the headquarters is located here, everybody can connect to the centre,” Oborevwori said.

He also pointed to the state’s transportation and security infrastructure, including three airports in Asaba, Osubi and Escravos and seaports in Warri, Burutu, Sapele and Koko.

“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.

Oborevwori said locating the headquarters in Delta would improve the Army’s response time and strengthen the protection of strategic national assets across the South-South region.

He appealed to the committee to recommend Delta as the headquarters location to the Chief of Army Staff and the President, assuring that the state was ready to provide land, temporary facilities and financial support 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,” the governor said.

Earlier, Ugiagbe said the creation of the 83 Division followed President Tinubu’s approval for the expansion of the Nigerian Army from eight to 12 divisions.

He said the new division would have responsibility for Delta, Edo and Bayelsa states, with additional military formations to strengthen security coverage and reduce response time to threats.

Ugiagbe said Delta would retain the 63 Brigade headquarters in Asaba, three battalions in Warri, the 90 Amphibious Battalion and the 181 Battalion. The state would also receive three additional formations: the 246 Recce Battalion in Oleh, a new Field Artillery Regiment and an Air Defence Regiment.

He explained that the proposed Air Defence Regiment would be located in Osubi because of its strategic importance and proximity to critical infrastructure.

“The Air Defence Regiment provides a large coverage for critical assets like airports, refineries and other critical national infrastructure,” he said.

The Army chief sought the state government’s support for land and temporary facilities for the new formations while permanent infrastructure is developed.