Former Edo CP, MONDAY AGBONIKA, Takes Over as Zone 5 AIG
The Zone 5 Headquarters of the Nigeria Police Force in Benin City has announced resumption of a new Assistant Inspector-General of Police, in the person of AIG MONDAY AGBONIKA, with responsibility covering Edo and Delta states.
Until his latest appointment, following his recent promotion to the rank of Assistant Inspector-General of Police, AIG MONDAY AGBONIKA was the Commissioner of Police in charge of Edo State Command.
In a statement confirming the development, the Police Public Relations Officer for Headquarters Zone 5 Command, SP TIJANI A. MOMOH, said AIG AGBONIKA assumed duty on Wednesday, July 29, 2026, succeeding AIG SALMAN-DOGO GARBA who recently retired from the Force.
AIG AGBONIKA hails from Idah Local Government Area of Kogi State. His illustrious career in the Force commenced on May 18, 1992, when he was enlisted into the Nigeria Police Force as a Cadet Assistant Superintendent of Police and trained at the Nigeria Police Academy Annex in Kaduna State.
The new Zone 5 AIG holds a BSc (Hons) and MSc in Psychology and Organizational Psychology from the University of Jos, as well as a master’s degree in security and strategic studies from the University of Ibadan, plus a Ph.D. (In View) in Peace and Conflict Studies, University of Ibadan.
AIG AGBONIKA has attended all mandatory police courses at the Police Staff College (psc) in Jos. He is a Fellow, Society for Peace Studies and Practice, (fspsp), and a Fellow of the National Defence College Nigeria, (fdc).
He brings over three decades of experience in the Nigeria Police Force, spanning Criminal Investigations, Administration, Public information, Divisional and Area Commands, State Command. He had also served as the Commissioner of Police, Mounted Troop, Department of Operations, Force Headquarters, Abuja.
AIG AGBONIKA’s investigative grounding includes the officer in charge of the Anti-Robbery Squad in Plateau State. He led the Anti-Fraud Section of the Zonal Criminal Investigation Department, Zone 2 Lagos State, where he directed sensitive, high-profile cases to significant breakthroughs.
AIG AGBONIKA once served as a Divisional Police Officer across multiple Divisions under the Lagos State Police, including FESTAC, Surulere, Oke-Odo, Isokoko, and the Central Police Station, Adeniji Adele on Lagos Island, before his promotion and appointment as Area Commander in Ekiti, Lagos and Ogun States respectively.
His Community Policing credentials are longstanding and internationally recognized. He once served as Public Information Officer for the UN Police Mission in Liberia, working alongside officers from over 39 countries and helping draft the Liberian National Police Media Policy.
In 2015, AIG AGBONIKA attended a United States Institute of Peace workshop in Washington DC on Community Policing approaches to countering violent extremism.
This combination of frontline command experience, investigative expertise, international justice reform practice and a sustained personal commitment to community policing positions him for best practice democratic policing.
AWARDS
The brilliant, hardworking and versatile officer has earned several international and Nigeria Police commendations and awards for excellence and courage. Notable are
- Commissioner of Police Commendation and award for Courage in Jos, Plateau State.
- The most people friendly Police Station award in an award ceremony held in South Africa.
- in 2015, finalist for the “Spirit of Lagos” award in the exemplary conduct category.
In addition, AIG AGBONIKA is an alumnus of the US State Department’s International Visitors Leadership Program (IVLP), focusing on the “Role of State Police in the Criminal Justice System of the USA”.
MONDAY AGBONIKA is happily married with children, and he loves reading and traveling.