Sokoto Govt Hands Over 10 Hilux Vehicles to Army for Superhighway Security
By Fahad Faruk Galadanchi
The Sokoto State Government has provided 10 Hilux vehicles to the Nigerian Army to strengthen security operations along the Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway project.
The vehicles were handed over to the 8 Division of the Nigerian Army on Thursday in Sokoto during a ceremony attended by the Minister of State for Works, Barrister Bello Muhammad Goronyo, who represented the Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi.
Goronyo said the vehicles were donated by Governor Ahmad Aliyu to support military personnel deployed to protect the construction of the strategic highway.
He said the gesture demonstrated the state government’s commitment to supporting the Federal Government’s infrastructure development initiatives under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
The minister said the Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway would cover about 1,068 kilometres, cutting across Sokoto, Kebbi, Niger, Kwara, Oyo, Ogun and Lagos states.
He explained that the project would connect with other major road corridors, including the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, thereby improving connectivity across different parts of the country.
Goronyo described the highway as one of the Federal Government’s major infrastructure projects, saying its construction would have significant economic benefits for communities and businesses along the corridor.
He noted that the road would facilitate safer transportation, improve the movement of goods and services and enhance the evacuation of agricultural produce from farming communities.
According to him, the highway is being designed with continuously reinforced concrete to ensure durability and enable it to serve Nigerians for decades.
Goronyo commended Governor Aliyu for providing the vehicles at a critical stage of the project, saying the intervention reflected effective collaboration between the Sokoto State Government and the Federal Government.
In his remarks, the General Officer Commanding, 8 Division, Nigerian Army, Maj.Gen. Bemgha Koughna, who represented the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.Gen. Waidi Shaibu, thanked Governor Aliyu for the donation.
Koughna said the vehicles would boost the Army’s capacity to secure personnel, equipment and construction activities along the highway corridor.
He disclosed that the Army currently maintains 17 independent deployments and conducts routine patrols along the route.
“The vehicles will be of immense benefit towards further securing the project” he said.
The GOC also praised the governor for his sustained support for security agencies, noting that the assistance would further encourage troops to protect the highway, which he described as a critical national asset.
He assured that the Nigerian Army would deploy the vehicles effectively in safeguarding the project and protecting the lives and property of law-abiding Nigerians.
