The first batch of candidates selected under the Nigerian Army 90th Regular Recruits Intake from Delta State has departed Asaba for the Nigerian Army Training Depot, Zaria, Kaduna State, to commence their mandatory military training.
The departure, which took place on Sunday, January 4, was led by the Nigerian Army Temporary Recruitment Officer for Delta State, Major P. S. Dati.
In a statement issued by the Director-General of the Delta State Orientation and Communications Bureau, Dr. Fred Latimore Oghenesivbe, 135 candidates—comprising 118 males and 17 females—successfully emerged from the recruitment exercise.
According to the statement, 50 recruits left Asaba on Sunday for the Zaria training depot, while the remaining candidates will be deployed in two additional batches later in the week to the Nigerian Army Training Depots in Osogbo and Jaji.
The Delta State Government charged the recruits to serve as worthy ambassadors of the state and to exhibit discipline, integrity, and responsibility throughout the six-month training programme.
Dr. Oghenesivbe noted that sustained sensitisation and awareness campaigns on military and paramilitary recruitment across Delta State over the past three years have produced positive outcomes, with more than 3,000 Deltans enlisted or commissioned through the Regular Recruitment Intake (RRI), Direct Short Service Commission (DSSC), and admissions into the Nigerian Defence Academy.
He attributed the success to the commitment and priority attention given to the recruitment process by the Delta State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, JP, adding that the initiative aligns with the job creation and wealth-building objectives of the Governor’s MORE Agenda.
The Director-General assured that the state government would continue to intensify media publicity and sensitisation campaigns across the state, while working closely with local government council chairmen, traditional rulers, and faith-based organisations to ensure Delta State consistently meets its quota in military and paramilitary recruitments, as well as admissions into the Nigerian Defence Academy.
The state government also expressed appreciation to the Commander, 63 Brigade, Asaba, Brigadier General M. A. Shonibare, and the Director of Recruitment, Army Headquarters, Brigadier General Chibueze Ogbuabo, for their visit to the recruitment camp at the Cenotaph Complex in Asaba to encourage the recruits and instil in them the values of patriotism and national service.
The 90th Regular Recruits of the Nigerian Army are expected to complete their mandatory training on or before July 2026.