By Ufuoma Egbe
The tragedy of Okuama has left deep wounds. Families have lost loved ones, a community has suffered devastation, and several Okuama leaders have remained in detention for an agonising period. Their plight deserves justice, compassion and sustained public attention. But precisely because the tragedy is so painful, it must not become an excuse for political blackmail that disregards facts, constitutional boundaries and good conscience.
The recent attack on Senator Ede Dafinone over the continued detention of Okuama leaders is a case in point. In his call to reject Dafinone in 2027, by Comrade Ogheneyore Israel Okerevwodjaye, one of Omo-Agege’s Media aides portrays the senator as having remained silent while Okuama suffered. The argument suggests that Dafinone should have ensured the detainees’ release and that his failure to do so amounts to failed representation. That may be politically convenient, but does it survive constitutional and factual scrutiny?
A senator is a legislator, not a military commander, judge or prison authority. The Constitution gives the National Assembly legislative, representative and oversight responsibilities; it does not confer on an individual senator the power to order the Nigerian Army to release a detainee, issue judicial orders or personally enforce court judgments. The legitimate question, therefore, is not whether Dafinone personally released anyone, but whether he used the powers available to him to advocate justice, due process and the interests of his Okuama constituents.
The public record does not support the claim that Dafinone was silent. Media reports in March 2025 documented his calls for justice for detained Okuama citizens, insisting that they should either be released or tried before a competent court. He also advocated the rehabilitation and rebuilding of Okuama, including homes, schools, healthcare facilities and roads. His engagement did not suddenly begin because the 2027 elections are approaching. His participation in Senate discussions on the Okuama tragedy was recorded as far back as March 2024.
Dafinone’s interventions also extended beyond public statements. He was among the early Urhobo stakeholders who visited the Ewu-Okuama Internally Displaced Persons camp, where he donated food items and offered support to displaced residents and their families. In April 2024, he was also involved in engagements surrounding the release of the Ewu monarch, King Clement Ikolo, from military custody. The monarch was released to Dafinone, who signed as surety. That development followed engagements with the military authorities and demonstrated the level of confidence built through those interactions.
There was another intervention that should not be ignored. On December 17, 2024, 83-year-old Dennis Okugbaye, who was reportedly critically ill while in military custody in Port Harcourt, was released to Dafinone following his intervention. It is legitimate to ask: were these interventions mere accidents? Or do they demonstrate that the senator was actively engaging the authorities on the welfare of people affected by the Okuama crisis? While sensitive negotiations with security authorities may not always be conducted publicly, their effectiveness should be judged by outcomes, not simply by the volume of media statements.
The continued detention of some Okuama leaders, particularly in the face of a reported court order, is certainly deserving of urgent attention. But that responsibility cannot simply be transferred to one senator. In June 2026, the Federal High Court sitting in Warri reportedly ordered the unconditional release of Prof. Arthur Ekpekpo and other detained Okuama leaders. That order belongs to the judiciary, while its enforcement rests with the appropriate executive and security authorities. If a valid court order is not obeyed, the critical questions are: which institution is responsible for enforcing it, why has it not been enforced, and who should answer for that failure?
Dafinone is not the Nigerian Army. He is not the Federal High Court, the Attorney-General of the Federation or the commander of the security agencies. It is legitimate to demand that he raise issues in the Senate, engage relevant authorities and advocate for justice. It is, however, misleading to assign him executive or judicial powers he does not possess. Accountability requires that every institution be examined according to its constitutional responsibility.
This is why the Okuama issue should not become a political contest between individual politicians. Rather than exploiting the suffering of Okuama for electoral advantage, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege and other Urhobo leaders and stakeholders should pool their influence, contacts and resources to sustain constructive pressure and dialogue with the authorities. The people of Okuama need solutions, not competing political narratives over who has done more or less.
The questions that matter are bigger than Dafinone. Who authorised the continued detention of the affected citizens? Under what legal authority were they held? Were they charged before a competent court? Why has a reported judicial order for their release allegedly not been implemented? Which institutions are responsible for enforcing the order? These are the questions that can produce genuine accountability. Delta Central voters are entitled to scrutinise Dafinone’s legislative record, constituency interventions, motions, visibility and effectiveness ahead of 2027. If he fails where the Constitution empowers him to act, he should be criticised. If his interventions produce no results, he should be asked to explain. But he should not be blamed for powers constitutionally vested in other institutions.
Okuama deserves justice, its families deserve answers, and the community deserves healing and reconstruction. Every institution involved must be held accountable. But accountability without constitutional clarity becomes political theatre, while criticism without factual discipline risks becoming blackmail. If there is a valid court order, it must be obeyed. If there is unlawful detention, it must end. If officials violated the law, they must answer. And if institutions failed, they must be held responsible.
If Senator Dafinone is to be judged, let him be judged for what the Constitution empowers a senator to do—and for what the evidence shows he actually did. Okuama deserves justice, not convenient narratives; Delta Central deserves accountability, not scapegoating; and the truth deserves a voice, even when it is politically inconvenient.
Ufuoma Egbe, A Public Affairs Analyst writes from Eku, Delta State.
