Leadership Chairman pays solidarity visit to The Daily Times
. Says police acted in error over dispute on DTN ownership
. Wants IGP to listen to both sides, take informed decision
The Chairman of Leadership Newspapers, Mr. Sam Nda-Isaiah, on Thursday, paid a solidarity visit to the top management of The Daily Times of Nigeria at their Maitama Abuja office over recent arrest and detention of some members of staff of the organisation.
Speaking to journalists after the visit, Nda-Isaiah said there was something sinister in the way and manner the Police and a Magistrate’s Court in Mpape colluded to victimise the Chairman of Folio Media Group (FMG), publisher of The Daily Times, Mr. Fidelis Anosike, the Group Managing Director, Barrister Noel Anosike and five members of staff of DTN
According to him, the Police High Command may have been misinformed over the dispute on ownership of The Daily Times and urged the Inspector General of Police, Mr Ibrahim Idris, to listen to stakeholders from both sides of the conflict to avoid further embarrassment or escalation of the matter.
Nda-Isaiah said: “I know all the story of how this Daily Times matter started. The story is also straightforward. You, therefore, need to take time to listen to everyone involved in the matter in order to make well-informed decision. Apart from Police, security agencies should sit down and address it properly. They should look at all the court documents, all agreements and court settlements because what the Police have done so far are in error.”
The Leadership Newspapers boss praised the current Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, whom he said has a lot of security challenges in his hands and has been up and doing, adding however that Police need to take time to study the matter as well as halt the assault on The Daily Times and its management.
“The person who ran to Magistrates’ Court for criminal prosecution over a civil case that is pending in courts of superior jurisdiction knows why he went there in the first place and what he wanted to achieve. That is why I said there is something sinister going on and that the security agencies should wade in to find that sinister substance so that it can be halted before getting out of control,” he added.
On the relationship between security agencies and the media in Nigeria, Nda-Isaiah said security agencies still have respect for media practitioners in the country and urged the media not to rely on the error committed over The Daily Times matter to judge the Police, insisting that someone is feeding the Police with misinformation on which they have acted arbitrarily.
Earlier while welcoming Nda-Isaiah to his office, the Publisher of The Daily Times, Mr. Fidelis Anosike, thanked him for the visit and expressed joy and appreciation to thousands of Nigerians who have been trooping to his office as well as others who have called on the phone or sent messages through the social media over the matter.
Anosike also assured Nda-Isaiah that nothing can stop the publication of The Daily Times which he described as his passion.
He said, “Nobody can take anything belonging to The Daily Times, not even one pin. We are not into property business, we are into publishing. We will continue to publish The Daily Times and nobody can stop it. Ikechukwu Obiora is only making a mockery of the Judiciary while at the same time influencing the Police to commit impunity. But he cannot take The Daily Times. It is not and will never be his property.
“When we bought The Daily Times through our company, Folio Communications Limited, there was nobody called Sen. Ikechukwu Obiora anywhere in the picture. He was neither a director nor a staff of the company that bought minority shares in The Daily Times. That you are claiming ownership of The Daily Times because the minority share was divested in your favour is laughable. I cannot remember selling The Daily Times to anyone called Ikechukwu Obiora”, Anosike concluded.
Mathew Dadiya, Abuja
