*Urged the Nigerian Army to release the Okuama leaders if no case against them

By Matthias Ogbagah

UGHELLI – The Senator representing Delta Central Senatorial District at the National Assembly, Sen. Ede Dafinone, has revealed that his office is in contact with the Nigerian military and Urhobo Stakeholders for the release of detained Okuama leaders and the corpse of late Pa James Oghoroko to the family.


He made this revelation in a Media parley with members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Ughelli Correspondents’ Chapel in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State.

At the Media parley, Senator Dafinone said, “The condition of those living in Okuama is well below satisfactory, people are living in tents and makeshift houses, they lack medical care and running water.

“Minimum living standard is not provided, and in terms of retiring to a normal life in Okuama, we still have a long way to go.

“I have discussed the rebuilding of Okuama and provision of facilities with leaders in the state government to see what can be done, and at the federal level to see what relief can be provided for them.

“The camp for those that were displaced was closed at the end of last year and the people have relocated back to the village but the rebuilding process is a very slow one and I believe that to a certain extent, the state and federal government should contribute certain basic infrastructures in place so that life can return to normal.

“After the release of the Ewu King, six people were arrested in August last year, and they are still being detained. Of the six, Pa James Oghoroko has passed on, and his body is still with the army, while Pa James Okugbaye was released into my care in Port Harcourt from his hospital bed.

“We have made appeals for the body of Pa James to be released for the family, and that discussion is ongoing, and there are four other people that are being held by the military authorities, and among them is a woman.

“I have visited them in detention, and I am in a continuous meeting with UPU, and the president generals, and our focus was on the detainees.

“Our push was that they should not spend a year in detention, but as of now, it has been over a year. I have continued to meet with the army regularly and the Attorney General of the Federation, engaging them to see if we can get justice from another side.

“The laws of our country require that you are innocent until you are proven guilty, and if the military has not been able to establish a case against those being held after one year, then they should release them.

“And if they have been able to establish a case, they should be taken to court, charged them and let them go to trial for them to prove their innocence but to be detained for year without being found guilty, it is clearly a punishment and I don’t know how they can be compensated for the one year of their lives that has been taken from them.

“I will continue to push, and there are some other Urhobo leaders that I am engaging that are working for their release, as it is not just me alone.” He revealed.

Earlier in his remarks, the Chairman of Ughelli Correspondents Chapel of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Comrade Sunday Apah, commanded the Senator for deeming it necessary to brief the union on his achievements in the Senate.

He pledged the Union’s commitment to continue to work closely with the office of the Senator to promote his works and activities in the Senate.