A senior police detective and rising literary voice, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Ogadinma Ezeh, is set to officially unveil and launch his much-anticipated novel Blood On Our Hands on Thursday, August 28, 2025, at the Police Officers’ Mess, Lagos State.
The event is expected to draw an impressive array of dignitaries from traditional, legal, and law enforcement circles. Confirmed personalities include HRH Oba Abdulfatai Aremu Ojora of Ijora, Lagos; DIG Oshodi Glover, mni (Rtd.); Dr. Eric Opah, who will serve as Chief Launcher; Prof. Sam Erugo (SAN); AIG Margaret Ochalla, psc+, AIG Force Criminal Investigation Department Annex, Ikoyi, Lagos; HRH Eze Chika Nwokedi (Okpoko 1, Eze Igbo Gburugburu of Lagos); AIG Ayodeji Ogundele, psc+ (Rtd.); and AIG Abutu Yaro, mni (Rtd.) and many others to be mentioned
The 140-page fictional prose is already being described as a masterpiece and a unique contribution to Nigeria’s literary landscape. Inspired in part by Chinua Achebe’s timeless classic Things Fall Apart, the book is set within the Igbo cultural milieu, drawing on parables, proverbs, and oral traditions to drive home its themes.
Unlike Achebe’s tragic hero Okonkwo, who rose to greatness but fell into despair, the lead character in Blood On Our Hands, Ebiri, begins life as an abandoned outcast—rejected, scorned, and left at the mercy of nature—only to be lifted by fate and providence into prominence. This makes the work more of a tragi-comedy, weaving together pain, resilience, betrayal, and triumph.
The novel explores the far-reaching impact of colonialism and westernization on Igbo traditional society. While Achebe captures fierce resistance to colonial intrusion, Ezeh presents a more ambivalent narrative, where Christianity and western education are both resisted and embraced “comsi-comsa.”
At its heart, however, the story is one of betrayal, rejection, and redemption. Ebiri’s parents are murdered by his father’s brothers out of envy. Shunned by his kin and community, the orphaned boy wanders into the wilderness, resigned to death—only to be rescued by a stranger who ushers him into a new life shaped by education, faith, and eventual leadership.
One early reviewer noted:
“It is a melancholic narration of one whose parents were killed by those who called themselves brothers. Yet, like the rejected stone that became the head of the cornerstone, Ebiri rose from rejection to greatness. Blood On Our Hands is a mirror of man’s inhumanity to man and a reminder that sometimes, your closest allies can be your worst enemies.”
Beyond the gripping storyline, critics have praised Ezeh’s simplicity of language, mastery of prose, and ability to keep readers yearning for the next page. His ability to combine the demanding duties of a senior police detective with literary craftsmanship has also earned him admiration.
Described as educative, enriching, and thought-provoking, Blood On Our Hands is recommended for homes, tertiary institutions, and libraries across the country.
Through this debut novel, DSP Ogadinma Ezeh has proven himself not only an asset to the Nigeria Police Force but also a promising new voice in Nigeria’s literary community.
