The Nigeria Police Force has refunded over N80 million allegedly extorted by the Anti-Cyber Crime Unit, attached to the State CID of Rivers State Police Command, to its owner, Davidson John Atubi, a chairman of a pipeline surveillance facility.
Also returned are two plasma televisions worth over N5 million and a standing fan carted away from a victim.
The money and the items were refunded to Human Right Activist, Comrade Israel Joe and his team on Friday, December 22.
The Police have also redeployed the Rivers State Commissioner of Police,CP Emeka Nwonyi, the Deputy Commissioner of Police as well as an Assistant Commissioner of Police over the matter.
In a statement signed and made available to Newsmen, on Wednesday December 27, the activist confirmed the development.
He said,”An equivalent of almost 89 million naira, two plasma Televisions, gold worth over 5million naira and a standing fan carted away from the victim’s house was handed over to my team, the victim and I, on Friday 22nd December, 2023 which was confirmed and released early hours of today Wednesday 27th December.
“We had gone severally to Port Harcourt and Abuja in search of the truth and justice that has been delivered to us.
“The IPO Emmanuel Eteng and his group that perpetuated the crime are being disciplined by the police to have lied with the name of the IGP and other top officers in order to extort.”
Comrade Joe expressed gratitude to the Inspector-General of Police, IGP, Kayode Egbetokun and his team for ensuring justice in the matter.
He urged the new Commissioner of Police in Rivers State,CP Tunji Disu to continue to monitor the activities of unscrupulous policemen.
“We wish to commend the zero tolerance of extortion and indiscipline by the Police Authorities of the NPF and urge the IGP to continue in this golden path of justice,” he said.
It would be recalled that Comrade Israel Joe had petitioned IGP Kayode Egbetokun detailing how the Police in Rivers State Command invaded the home of one Davidson John Atubi, chairman of a pipeline surveillance facility, arrested him and seized over N100 million, which the victim was supposed to use to pay his workers salaries, and medical treatment abroad.
