The governor made this known during a meeting with traditional rulers and religious leaders at the Unity Hall, Government House, Asaba, on Tuesday, November 10.

Okowa added that the necessary equipment needed to make the outfit operational have been procured.

He explained that the process of establishing the security outfit took a while because he wanted to ensure that everything was in place.

He said that the outfit will tackle kidnapping and other violent crimes, including farmers-herders clashes.

"We set up the Operation Delta Hawk which we are hopeful will be operationalized before Christmas. The team has already been selected and trained and we have been able to get men on ground to participate," Okowa said.

"For them to be able to undertake such programmes, they also need the body armour, the vests which we have gotten recently.

"We are in the process of concluding installation of the communication equipment; the mast is already being provided and by the time we are able to complete the communication equipment installation, then we can truly start.

"Operation Delta Hawk team will work closely with vigilante groups across the wards and communities and will help to tackle issues relating to kidnapping, farmers-herders clashes and violent crimes," he added.

On COVID-19, the governor said that Pfizer, a multinational pharmaceutical firm, had announced that it had discovered a vaccine that could provide immunity against COVID-19, but warned that it was not time to be complacent.

"God has been good to us because the incidents of hospitalisation in the country are not high.

"The virulence of the COVID-19 virus in Nigeria and Africa has been minimal compared to what it is in Europe and America. It is not a time for us to relax but a time to wear our masks and use our sanitisers," he stated.