Policeman who ‘rejected N864m bribe’ considers resignation over ‘injustice’

Francis Erhabor, the divisional police officer of Itam, Akwa Ibom state police command, who allegedly rejected a total of N864 million bribe in three years, is yet to resign as widely reported.

On Saturday, there were reports that Erhabor had resigned from his job over “forces that stunted his chances of being promoted”.

The reports claimed that the officer, who is a chief superintendent of police (CSP), resigned after witnessing a pattern that has allegedly seen his subordinates repeatedly get promoted to become his superiors while his rank remained the same.

TheCable, however, understands that Erhabor is yet to resign, although he earlier embarked on a three-day break to ponder about leaving the security outfit.

In January last year, the officer had received the 2019 Integrity Icon Award for “rejecting a N6 million weekly bribe to compromise the security system” while he was a pipeline commander in Edo. This was despite his allowance of N37,500.

He was honoured alongside four other nominees in Abuja in an event organised by Accountability Lab in partnership with Luminate, MacArthur, and Ford Foundation “to name and fame honest government officials.”

During his receipt of the Integrity Icon award, Erhabor had said: “I almost compromised if not for the mercies of the Lord. The story that is making frontline today that has brought me here was when I had just N800 in my pocket.

“I was a pipeline commander in Edo state, where I had worked for close to three to four years. My actual allowance was just N37,500 from the government, which was not coming when due.

“And  I had a few persons who dangled N1.5million to me and they were to be giving me N6million every week. And if I were to be there for 30 days, that is N24 million. I eventually spent more than three years.

“Because of that decision I took before I entered the force—because I had taken an oath that the day I compromise myself, ‘Lord just embarrass me, show me on  TV. Make me stick to the N37,500 that was not forthcoming’.

“It didn’t go without persecution and agonism. Sometimes my life was threatened. But I earned respect and trust; got confidence not only from my colleagues but also from outside forces. The outcome has paid off.”

The officer had first joined the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) as a cadet inspector in 1990.

He was said to have later volunteered as an instructor to train the police mobile personnel at Limakara, Gwoza in Borno for over three years.