“I heard that this man, Francis Erahbor Osagie, once the DPO at Itam Police Station [in Akwa Ibom State], in all his 35 years of service, never took bribes and never extorted anything from anyone. Did anyone here encounter him on duty?”
Out of the blue, someone had made the quoted comment in the Uyo Book Club WhatsApp group…on a Monday afternoon. It’s alright – I also had the disbelief you feel now written on my face at first read.
For almost an hour there was no comment about it. Everyone was probably taking it in. “It can’t be! I mean…”
Next came the deluge of eulogies by those who had prior encounter with DCP Francis Erhabor, ( Rtd ) corroborating and lending credence to his asserted uprightness.
A high-ranking police officer. Disciplined. Shuns bribes. The decision was unanimous: We had to seek out this rare kind of police officer.
Two weeks later, on Saturday 30th of August, 2025, we did. The audaciously titled book “I DARED TO BE DIFFERENT” authored by the same officer of the law had already been chosen since that WhatsApp interaction as the Uyo Book Club’s Book of Month for August. It felt like seeing Big Foot in person or witnessing the unmasking of the man behind the enigmatic Lagbaja music sensation. But he was there, and punctual too.
I DARED TO BE DIFFERENT trajectorizes Francis Erhabor’s journey through life from lowly but honourably beginnings as a toddler to jumping and surmounting hoops and hurdles which tested and shaped his character and resolve over the years, particularly as a Nigerian Police Officer.
DCP Erhabor, with a record of joining the Nigeria Police Force at age 17 and becoming an Inspector two years later at only 19, served in the Force for 35 years until his retirement as a Deputy Commissioner of Police.
The book breaks down the realities of law enforcement personnel in Nigeria from an insider perspective, stringing connections between poor remuneration, the seeming disregard for the law, and the difficult choices of balancing financial realities and the pull of morality in the course of duty.
In ‘I DARED TO BE DIFFERENT’, the retired DCP Ernabor dissects actual reasons for the rot in the Nigeria Police System and balances each with ways to ameliorate and turn back the decay fuelled by anecdotes which are sometimes as heartrending as they are personal.
Prof. Joe Ushie, a professor of General Stylistics and Literary Criticism, recounted his encounter with DCP Ernabor years ago. Ikot Mbonde, a community in the outskirts of Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, had been overrun by criminals and each sunrise was the onset of a perpetrated vice which went unchecked.
Prof. Ushie mentioned DCP Ernabor’s duty tour as the DPO of Division ‘D’ Itam heralded a semblance of peace and safety, including in Ikot Mbonde.
The police-officer-cum-pastor, he continued, was instrumental to setting up and bolstering the security architecture which was a blend of community policing.
Dr. Udeme Nana, the Uyo Book Club Founder, responding to questions asked, praised retired DCP Francis Ernabor for being exemplary, stating his ideals toe the line of the goals and vision of the Book Club which is awakening and reengineering the sensibilities of society.
As a Lecturer, Dr. Nana continued, he has always shunned indulging in the prevalent culture of inducements and gratifications from his students, insisting on merit and fairness, even at personal costs which seem to barricade some of his ambitions within the academic world.
He said people now refer to
him as ‘a man who doesn’t play ball’ adding that he too is resolved never to blend or play their kind of ball !
Comments by Prof. Imoh Ukpong, professor of geology, Dr. Eventus Edem, and banker-turned-consultant, Mr. Chukwuma Amadi added to the conversation, with the latter pointing out the role of being rooted in the Christian faith and the choice of spouse as key reasons retired DCP Ernabor could be steadfast, dutiful, diligent, and upright as an enforcer of the law and a citizen of the country.
Beyond the regiments of the Nigeria Police Force, DCP Francis Ernabor’s “I DARED TO BE DIFFERENT” challenges all of us as individuals and members of society to embody and live the societal changes we constantly clamour for; As students, as lecturers, techies, traders, public officer holders, civil servants, and artisans. The law is only as effective as those who are willing to protect it, and live by it.
The Uyo Book Club isn’t just a book club – it’s a community of people across different sectors and with various experiences united by their passion for keeping the reading culture alive and projecting intellectualism over what seems to be the norm.
It typically meets on the last Saturday of every month at Shakespeare Hall, WatBridge Hotels and Suites, (opposite Ibom Hall), IBB Avenue, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria.
In October, Uyo Book Club will be 10. Yes, it’s been a decade of keeping the intellectual flame burning.
More details about this in subsequent postings and releases.
