The Akwa-Ibom State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) has refunded N110,000 to a family its officers extorted on January 10.

Ann Okike, a member of the family, told FIJ the police refunded the money to her father a week earlier.

Speaking with FIJ on Wednesday, Okike said, “Thank you for everything. They refunded the money in cash to my dad last week.”

READ MORE: Akwa-Ibom Policemen Take N110,000 ‘Bail’ From Family Arrested Over ‘False Accusation’, Request Damages of N200,000

Okike said a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) in the SCID had initially proposed a N60,000 refund, claiming the police would retain N50,000 as the cost of arresting them, but Odiko Macdon, spokesman for the police in the state, intervened and effected the full refund.

FIJ earlier reported how, on the instruction of Christy George, Okike’s neighbour, the police rounded the family at 1 am on January 10 and took them to the headquarters, where they were detained till 5 pm.

The police collected N110,000 from the family as bail and demanded N200,000 for what it termed damages.

Ojukwu is a reporter with FIJ in partnership with Report for the World, which matches local newsrooms with talented emerging journalists to report on under-covered issues around the globe.