The Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) in charge of Zone 5, Benin City, Monday Agbonika, has disclosed that some police officers lost their lives while serving as Commissioners of Police in the Edo State Command.
Agbonika, the immediate past Commissioner of Police in Edo State, said the officers paid the ultimate price in the course of protecting citizens and defending the nation.
He made the disclosure on Monday, August 10, 2026, while handing over the leadership of the command to the newly appointed Commissioner of Police, Patrick Daaor.
The AIG recalled that the command faced several challenging periods during his tenure, including protests involving youths, students, civil society organisations, parents and members of the business community.
He said the command continued to honour the courage and sacrifices of officers who lost their lives while serving in the state.
Reflecting on his tenure, Agbonika identified winning the trust and confidence of Edo residents as one of his biggest challenges as Commissioner of Police.
“My greatest challenge here in Edo State is probably getting to win the trust and confidence of the people of Edo State.
“But, I am happy to tell you that at the end, eventually after a lot of challenges, they got to understand our strategies and they started supporting and that was when we started making achievements and progress in the state,” he said.
Agbonika noted that the achievements recorded by the command came at a significant cost, urging his successor to build on the existing relationship with stakeholders in the fight against insecurity.
He advised Daaor to sustain the command’s grassroots engagement strategy and deepen collaboration with civil society organisations, government agencies, traditional rulers, hunters, youths and other community groups.
“My advice to the incoming Commissioner of Police is to leverage the achievements, especially what we have achieved in terms of breaking into the grassroots, because we have to be able to give good services to the grassroots.
“He should continue with the society approach, engaging all stakeholders, engaging the CSOs agencies and continue to work closely with the government at the same time working with traditional rulers, working with hunters, working with youths, working with all sectors of the community,” he added.
Speaking after receiving the handover note, the new Commissioner of Police, Patrick Daaor, pledged to build on the command’s community policing strategy while maintaining an open-door policy.
Daaor assured residents that his administration would operate a proactive and highly mobile police command capable of confronting crime and criminality across the state.
“We will work towards winning more of the trust of the good people of Edo State and will ensure that every policeman has respect for every citizen of their state,” he stated.
The new Commissioner also charged officers to remain civil and professional while carrying out their lawful duties.
BACKSTORY:
The development followed the formal change of leadership at the Edo State Police Command, with Patrick Daaor taking over as the new Commissioner of Police from Monday Agbonika, who has since been promoted to Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Zone 5.
During the handover ceremony, Agbonika reflected on the challenges faced by the command, including protests and efforts to gain the confidence of Edo residents. He urged his successor to maintain strong relationships with communities and other stakeholders.
Daaor, in turn, pledged to strengthen community policing, improve public trust and adopt a proactive approach to tackling crime across Edo State.
