The Abia State Police Command has announced the assumption of duty of CP Wilfred Olutokunbo Afolabi as the 35th Commissioner of Police in the state. Afolabi succeeds AIG Danladi Isa, who has been promoted and redeployed to the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) Annex in Kaduna.
Afolabi, a seasoned police officer with over three decades of service, joined the Nigeria Police Force as a Cadet Assistant Superintendent of Police on May 18, 1992. Since then, he has held several strategic command and operational positions, building a career marked by professionalism, discipline and dedication to duty.
The new Abia police chief holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Botany from the University of Ilorin, as well as postgraduate and master’s degrees in Peace and Security Studies from the University of Port Harcourt. He has also attended several professional courses, including strategic and tactical leadership programmes at the National Institute of Police Studies, Abuja, Police Staff College, Jos, and the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji.
His career includes extensive international policing experience. He served as the pioneer Sector Commander of Sector 2, Nyala, and pioneer Regional Commander of Southern Darfur under the African Union Mission in Sudan between 2004 and 2005. He also served as Nigeria Contingent Commander and Special Response Unit Officer under the Human Rights Section of the United Nations Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where he contributed to police reforms, system analysis and personnel training.
Before his latest posting, Afolabi was Commissioner of Police, Administration, Training and Development at Force Headquarters, Abuja. He had earlier served as Commissioner of Police in Ondo State, where he coordinated administrative and operational activities, strengthened intelligence gathering and investigations, and promoted community policing. He also served as Force Equitation Officer, Mounted Troop, at Force Headquarters.
As a Deputy Commissioner of Police, Afolabi served in administrative, criminal investigation and operations roles in Delta, Katsina and Bayelsa states. Earlier in his career, he held positions as Area Commander in Anambra State, Assistant Commissioner of Police (Operations) in Imo State, Assistant Commissioner of Police (Intelligence) in Abuja, Divisional Police Officer in several Abuja divisions and Directing Staff at the Police Staff College, Jos. The Abia Command described him as a disciplined, strategic and result-oriented officer and called for the cooperation of residents, stakeholders and other security agencies as he begins his tenure.
