Dafinone calls for immediate release of detained Okuama leaders

By Watchmann

Senator Ede Dafinone, representing Delta Central, has declared human capital development and grassroots accessibility as the cornerstones of his Senate tenure, while issuing a fiery call for the immediate release of Okuama community leaders languishing in military detention for nearly a year without trial.

Speaking in Sapele during a courtesy visit by the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Sapele Chapter, Dafinone condemned the detention as “a travesty of justice,” revealing that one detainee had died in custody and another was released gravely ill. “If they are innocent, release them. If they are guilty, charge them in open court. One year in detention without trial is not justice,” he stressed, adding that two of the detainees lost children while behind bars.

Urging Sapele journalists to strengthen ties with him, the Delta Central lawmaker said representation thrives when constituents know their senator personally. He dismissed claims of being inaccessible, insisting he has never ignored legitimate requests for engagement, and encouraged journalists to follow his verified social media pages for unfiltered updates.

Reiterating his priorities, Dafinone cited the yawning gap in infrastructure resources between himself and his predecessor. He said his focus is to empower more people through education, skills training, and targeted interventions. “If I have the instruments of power and I’m not using them for my people, I’m wasting them,” he declared, recalling a late-night rescue effort during a kidnapping case.

The senator admitted funding constraints for constituency projects, disclosing that requests for transformers, streetlights, and school repairs already exceed 700 items. “If I can complete 200 in four years, that would be a great achievement,” he said, noting that projects like ICT centres aim to spotlight the urgent need for digital access.

He defended his youth empowerment initiatives, including a PTI Conference Centre programme where 100 young entrepreneurs received POS machines and ₦50,000 each. “It may not change your life, but it can change your situation,” he maintained.

On political distractions, Dafinone revealed that organisers of a recent recall campaign demanded ₦1.5 million to drop it, a demand he flatly rejected. Warning against media attacks on Urhobo leaders, he said such actions weaken the ethnic group’s influence in Abuja. Looking ahead, he listed the revival of Sapele Port and halting asset stripping at Delta Steel Company as key development battles. “At the end of the day, what matters is the lives I have touched and the opportunities I have opened.”