The Nigeria Police Force has appointed former Edo State Commissioner of Police, Monday Agbonika, as the new Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) in charge of Zone 5.
Zone 5 covers Edo and Delta states, with its headquarters in Benin City.
His appointment follows the retirement of AIG Salman-Dogo Garba, whom he officially succeeded after assuming duty on July 29.
The announcement was made in a statement by the Zone 5 Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tijani Momoh.
Agbonika, who hails from Idah Local Government Area of Kogi State, joined the Nigeria Police Force as a Cadet Assistant Superintendent of Police in 1992 after training at the Police Academy Annex in Kaduna.
Over the past three decades, he has served in several strategic positions across the country, building a career that spans criminal investigations, public relations, administration, operations and community policing.
Before his latest appointment, he served as Commissioner of Police in Edo State. He had also headed the Mounted Troop at the Force Headquarters in Abuja and previously led anti-robbery and anti-fraud units in Plateau and Lagos states.
His policing career also includes serving as Divisional Police Officer in several Lagos divisions, including Festac, Surulere, Oke-Odo, Isokoko and Adeniji Adele, before rising to become an Area Commander in Lagos, Ogun and Ekiti states.
Academically, Agbonika holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Psychology and Organisational Psychology from the University of Jos. He also earned a master’s degree in Security and Strategic Studies from the University of Ibadan and is currently pursuing a PhD in Peace and Conflict Studies.
He has attended several professional police courses and is a Fellow of both the Society for Peace Studies and Practice and the National Defence College.
His international experience includes serving with the United Nations Police Mission in Liberia, where he worked with officers from more than 39 countries and helped develop the Liberian National Police Media Policy.
In 2015, he also participated in a community policing workshop organised by the United States Institute of Peace in Washington, DC.
Throughout his career, Agbonika has received several awards for courage, professionalism and community policing, including recognition for operating one of Africa’s most people-friendly police stations.
He is married with children and enjoys reading and travelling.
