THE recent revelation by the spokesperson of the Delta State Police Command, SP Bright Edafe, that the command recorded eight murders in nine days (January 1 to 9, 2026) is absolutelyworrisome. More so, it serves as an unmistakable signal to the new Commissioner of Police, Aina Adesola, that the task ahead of him requires foldinghis sleeves.
On January 5, 2026, the first working day of the New Year, Mr. Adesola assumed duty as the 23rd Commissioner of Police in Delta State, taking over from Mr Olufemi Abaniwonda, who had been elevated to the rank of an Assistant Inspector-General (AIG) and transferred to the Force Headquarters in Abuja.
Born on September 2, 1968, Mr Adesola, who hails from Abeokuta in Ogun State, parades an impressive resume and the requisite experience needed to excel in his new role with his Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree in Sociology from Ondo State University.
After his enlistment into the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) in 1994, Adesola’s first stint in Delta State was in 1996 upon completion of training at the Nigeria Police Academy in Kano and subsequent posting to Ogwashi-Uku, headquarters of the present-day Aniocha South Local Government Area.
Other operational, administrative, investigative and training roles in his 33 years of service include service as Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Aswani Division 2012-2015; OC Homicide, Edo State Command (2016); OC X-Squad Zone 2, Lagos (2016); Assistant Commissioner of Police, Abia State Police Command (2018-2022); Commandant, Police Training School, Ondo State (2022); Deputy Commissioner of Police, Force Headquarters, Abuja, and Deputy Commissioner of Police, State Criminal Investigation Department, Rivers State (2023).
He has also served as Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations), Delta State (2023-2025). Upon his elevation to the rank of Commissioner of Police in 2025, he was posted to Lagos State as Deputy Commandant, Police College, Ikeja, where he served for seven months before his latest deployment to Delta.
It is heart-warming to note that since he assumed duty, the Command has made noticeable progress in its fight against insecurity, such as the arraignment of 33 persons for various infractions during the yuletide, arrest of suspected kidnappers, gunrunners, drug barons, cultists and other criminals, as well as the recovery of firearms.
Adesola also demonstrated the will required of the chief law enforcement officer in the state to match words with action following the redeployment of a Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in Jesse for alleged extortion. Even though this was after much public outcry, he has at least justified his threat not to condone such maleficence, including human rights abuses, among police officers.
However, Adesola should deepen his departure from rhetoric and further consolidate on the gains of his predecessors in flushing criminal elements out of the state. Good enough, Delta is not known for ethno-religious conflicts, but it suffers other forms of insecurity, such as cultism, kidnapping, drug abuse, and internet fraud, among others. Thus, ensuring maximum security in one of Nigeria’s economic hubs is simply not negotiable.
Tackling these, as the new police chief should have known by now, requires collaboration. If Adesola must succeed, he must deepen synergy with sister security agencies, including the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Department of State Services (DSS), the Military, and even local vigilantes for an intelligence-driven approach to wrestling insecurity.
More so, working together with traditional rulers, community leaders and even the clergy would go a long way in executing his clear mandate; reducing crime to the barest minimum. It would also be helpful for him to take advantage of the existing security framework of the state government encapsulated in the MORE Agenda: Enhanced Peace and Security.
Under his watch, Adesola should deploy his wealth of policing experience in shaping Delta’s security landscape, especially given the peculiarities of the year preceding general elections and beyond.
We welcome the new Commissioner of Police to Delta State and hope that he confronts the challenges frontally, even as we urge Deltans to give him all the support needed in making Delta safer for all of us.
