Inside Edo
Tension mounts in Edo as ultimatum looms over police commissioner's fate
Written By: Emmanuel Ikhenebome
06 Nov 2025 03:32 AM
Benin, Edo – With less than 48 hours remaining on a high-stakes 14-day ultimatum, the Bail is Free Campaign organization is bracing for potential demonstration as Nigeria's police hierarchy maintains radio silence on demands to redeploy Edo State Commissioner of Police (CP) Monday Agbonika.
The campaign, which accuses Agbonika of presiding over a tenure marred by extortion, brutality, and institutional decay, has warned of street protests if their calls go unheeded by Saturday, November 8.
Issued on October 25 amid a swelling wave of public grievances, the ultimatum paints a grim picture of Agbonika's seven-month stewardship, which began on April 8, 2025, in the shadow of the Uromi killings, a violent episode that claimed the lives of 16 suspected kidnappers and prompted his predecessor's redeployment.
The watchdog group dedicated to upholding the constitutional right to free bail, alleges that under Agbonika's watch, the Edo command has devolved into a "rogue institution" where officers routinely demand illicit "bail fees," shield fraudsters, and target whistleblowers with reprisals.
The six-point demand, first spotlighted by DAILY SOUTH NIGERIA, calls not only for Agbonika's immediate removal but also for mandatory retraining of officers, enhanced whistleblower protections, and systemic reforms to curb abuses.
As of Thursday, neither Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun nor the Police Service Commission (PSC) has issued a public response, fueling speculation of internal deliberations or deliberate inaction.
Agbonika, previously serving as Commissioner of the Police Mounted Troop at Force Headquarters, Abuja, assumed command amid vows to restore order following the Uromi fallout.
Early in his tenure, he pledged enhanced security measures, including collaborations with state authorities on anti-kidnapping operations and crackdowns on illegal revenue collection.
In September, he publicly committed to pursuing justice for the slain eight NSCDC operatives in Okpella and warned against the proliferation of unauthorized firearms among vigilantes. Yet, the Bail is Free Campaign organization and allied civil society groups contend these efforts ring hollow against a "dossier of grievances" documenting unchecked officers misconduct.
The standoff risks deepening Edo's fragile trust in law enforcement, already strained by high-profile incidents like the June 2025 summoning of Agbonika by the Edo State House of Assembly over the arrest of a traditional ruler within the legislative complex.
Community leaders in areas like Ayen have recently praised police deployments for curbing insecurity, but the group argues such gains are undermined by endemic corruption.
At the heart of the organisation's outrage lies the harrowing case of Mrs. Osarunmwense, whose September 24 attempt to report a violent tenant dispute at her father's property in Benin City spiraled into what the group describes as a Kafkaesque descent into abuse of power.
According to detailed accounts from the victim, the incident began as a Good Samaritan effort: A drunken tenant, known only as Saturday, allegedly assaulted co-tenant Mr. Monday Igwe in a late-night brawl, leaving Igwe with life-threatening injuries.
Police at the Saint Savior Divisional Police Headquarters arrested Saturday without incident. But when Osarunmwense returned on September 29 to follow up, she was slapped with handcuffs on orders from the unnamed Divisional Police Officer (DPO), executed by Investigating Police Officer (IPO) Mrs. Iyamu.
Dragged into a fetid cell, Osarunmwense frantically contacted her family. Her husband arrived soon after, only to be arrested on fabricated charges and thrown in alongside her.
What followed was grim negotiation.
IPO Iyamu reportedly demanded ₦150,000 as "ransom" for their release, eventually settling for ₦60,000 extracted from Osarunmwense's elder sister, Mrs. Omoruyi. Desk officers at the station tacked on an additional ₦2,000 before granting freedom, turning the station into what John lambasted as a marketplace for human misery.
The group, mobilizing swiftly, alerted the Area Commander (Metro), who promised a thorough probe and refunds. The group temporarily stood down, but their faith was shattered days later.
Defying the commander's directive, the DPO allegedly instructed Iyamu to fabricate charges against Osarunmwense, her husband, Igwe, and the original complainant. In a "commando-style" operation, the family was ambushed, arraigned, and remanded to Benin's correctional facility when bail bonds proved elusive.
Relatives scrambled for days to raise funds for release, but the extorted ₦62,000 remains unrefunded.
"These aren't arrests; they're kidnappings for profit," the group's secretary, Leftist Dickson John Esq fumed in his latest missive, vowing to expose the DPO's identity and pursue legal action, framing the episode as emblematic of Agbonika's leadership failures.
The campaign, which accuses Agbonika of presiding over a tenure marred by extortion, brutality, and institutional decay, has warned of street protests if their calls go unheeded by Saturday, November 8.
Issued on October 25 amid a swelling wave of public grievances, the ultimatum paints a grim picture of Agbonika's seven-month stewardship, which began on April 8, 2025, in the shadow of the Uromi killings, a violent episode that claimed the lives of 16 suspected kidnappers and prompted his predecessor's redeployment.
The watchdog group dedicated to upholding the constitutional right to free bail, alleges that under Agbonika's watch, the Edo command has devolved into a "rogue institution" where officers routinely demand illicit "bail fees," shield fraudsters, and target whistleblowers with reprisals.
The six-point demand, first spotlighted by DAILY SOUTH NIGERIA, calls not only for Agbonika's immediate removal but also for mandatory retraining of officers, enhanced whistleblower protections, and systemic reforms to curb abuses.
As of Thursday, neither Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun nor the Police Service Commission (PSC) has issued a public response, fueling speculation of internal deliberations or deliberate inaction.
Agbonika, previously serving as Commissioner of the Police Mounted Troop at Force Headquarters, Abuja, assumed command amid vows to restore order following the Uromi fallout.
Early in his tenure, he pledged enhanced security measures, including collaborations with state authorities on anti-kidnapping operations and crackdowns on illegal revenue collection.
In September, he publicly committed to pursuing justice for the slain eight NSCDC operatives in Okpella and warned against the proliferation of unauthorized firearms among vigilantes. Yet, the Bail is Free Campaign organization and allied civil society groups contend these efforts ring hollow against a "dossier of grievances" documenting unchecked officers misconduct.
The standoff risks deepening Edo's fragile trust in law enforcement, already strained by high-profile incidents like the June 2025 summoning of Agbonika by the Edo State House of Assembly over the arrest of a traditional ruler within the legislative complex.
Community leaders in areas like Ayen have recently praised police deployments for curbing insecurity, but the group argues such gains are undermined by endemic corruption.
At the heart of the organisation's outrage lies the harrowing case of Mrs. Osarunmwense, whose September 24 attempt to report a violent tenant dispute at her father's property in Benin City spiraled into what the group describes as a Kafkaesque descent into abuse of power.
According to detailed accounts from the victim, the incident began as a Good Samaritan effort: A drunken tenant, known only as Saturday, allegedly assaulted co-tenant Mr. Monday Igwe in a late-night brawl, leaving Igwe with life-threatening injuries.
Police at the Saint Savior Divisional Police Headquarters arrested Saturday without incident. But when Osarunmwense returned on September 29 to follow up, she was slapped with handcuffs on orders from the unnamed Divisional Police Officer (DPO), executed by Investigating Police Officer (IPO) Mrs. Iyamu.
Dragged into a fetid cell, Osarunmwense frantically contacted her family. Her husband arrived soon after, only to be arrested on fabricated charges and thrown in alongside her.
What followed was grim negotiation.
IPO Iyamu reportedly demanded ₦150,000 as "ransom" for their release, eventually settling for ₦60,000 extracted from Osarunmwense's elder sister, Mrs. Omoruyi. Desk officers at the station tacked on an additional ₦2,000 before granting freedom, turning the station into what John lambasted as a marketplace for human misery.
The group, mobilizing swiftly, alerted the Area Commander (Metro), who promised a thorough probe and refunds. The group temporarily stood down, but their faith was shattered days later.
Defying the commander's directive, the DPO allegedly instructed Iyamu to fabricate charges against Osarunmwense, her husband, Igwe, and the original complainant. In a "commando-style" operation, the family was ambushed, arraigned, and remanded to Benin's correctional facility when bail bonds proved elusive.
Relatives scrambled for days to raise funds for release, but the extorted ₦62,000 remains unrefunded.
"These aren't arrests; they're kidnappings for profit," the group's secretary, Leftist Dickson John Esq fumed in his latest missive, vowing to expose the DPO's identity and pursue legal action, framing the episode as emblematic of Agbonika's leadership failures.
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