Delta Central Senator, Ede Dafinone, has changed his tactics over the disturbing wave of child abductions rocking Agbarho community in Ughelli North local government area of Delta State.
The senator who condemned jungle justice when, on September 24, a mob lynched a woman accused of attempting to abduct a child, yesterday raised fresh alarm over the tragic development.
“While the frustration of the people is understandable, jungle justice is not the solution,” Dafinone warned. “Taking the law into our own hands risks the lives of innocent persons and further undermines our collective pursuit of justice.
“Let us resist jungle justice and instead channel our anger into vigilance and collaboration. Together, we can overcome this menace,” he stressed.
The lawmaker, in a strongly worded statement on Thursday, described the development as heartbreaking and a dangerous trend that must be urgently tackled.
The Delta Central Senator expressed sympathy with grieving families, assuring them of his solidarity and commitment to pressing for answers at the highest levels.
“The time to act is now. We need tighter security surveillance, stronger community policing, and coordinated efforts to dismantle any syndicates behind these abductions, whether for ritual purposes or trafficking.
“Every missing child is a future we cannot afford to lose. I share in your pain, and I will not relent until safety is restored to Agbarho and all of Delta central.
“We will not fold our hands while criminals terrorise our homes. With unity of purpose, Agbarho, Ughelli morth, and indeed our entire state will rise above this dark moment,” he pledged.
Dafinone called on the Delta State Police Command, Ughelli Area Command, and other federal security agencies to step up investigations, increase patrols and work closely with the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP).
According to him, communal solidarity would play a vital role in stopping further abductions, urging community leaders, under the guidance of the Ovie of Agbarho, to maintain vigilance through neighbourhood watch groups, parental sensitization, and partnerships with schools.
The senator, however, appealed for calm, insisting that unity and cooperation with law enforcement remain the only path to restoring peace.
Reports indicate that at least six children, mostly between the ages of three and ten, have disappeared from the community in recent months.
The crisis, which spiked in June after four children were reported missing, has left families shattered and residents living in fear of the unknown.
The tension boiled over on September 16 when aggrieved women protested to draw government attention to their plight.
