Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki has lauded the military and other security forces in the State for their sustained collaboration with the state government in ensuring a formidable security architecture that guarantees the protection of lives and property of Edo people as well as the safety of businesses and investments in the State.

Governor Obaseki said this when he received the General Officer Commanding 2 Division, Nigerian Army, Major General Valentine Uzochukwu Okoro, who led other top military personnel on a courtesy visit to the Government House, in Benin City.

He said, “I thank you for giving the permission for the Army to be part of the squad that is training our vigilante network as we just completed the training of 1,500 of our men. From inception, the military has been part of designing the programme, helping us with the screening and things we need to do properly.”

The governor continued: “Please thank the Chief of Army Staff for the approval we received to build Forward Operational Base (FOB) in the State. The FOB in Ehor is almost ready and we would like to go through you to ask that he comes to commission what he has started.

“That deployment has helped us tremendously in the State because, before the deployment, the incident of kidnapping on that axis of the road was bad. We have now seen the direct benefits of having the military support our security efforts.

“Also, we want to thank the Chief of Army Staff and tell him that when he comes, he should use the opportunity to do the second foundation laying for the FOB in Sobe which has been approved, and also the operations taken in that axis which has been very successful reducing the number of incidents of kidnapping and activities of bandits in that area significantly.”

Obaseki added, “We are anxious to start the building of the OB there so that the men can be stationed there. Unfortunately, some of the bandits displaced from this area have moved up North towards the Akoko-Edo axis and increased the incidents in these areas. We thank you for the operation you have commenced this week. I am sure you will help us get more resources from the Auchi Brigade to support the efforts in that area.”

Earlier, Okoro commended the governor for his support and the conducive environment created for the officers and men of the military to effectively perform their duties of securing lives and property in the State.