TheCable

Fidelis Anosike, publisher of Daily Times, says he cannot remember selling the newspaper to anyone.

Anosike said this in reaction to the ownership dispute between him and  Ikechukwu Obiora, a former senator from Anambra state.

The feud with Anosike took a different dimension when five staff of the newspaper were whisked away from Daily Times head office in Ikeja, Lagos.

They were reportedly detained at the office of the special anti robbery squad (SARS) in Ikeja.

Those arrested were Tinuola Ashiru, (assistant manager, human resources), Ayodele Ibitoye (accountant), Afolabi Adeboye (graphics designer), Marvelous Eyoh Effiong (graphics designer) and James Akingbade Olagoke (advert officer).

Speaking when he received Sam Nda Isaiah, publisher of Leadership Newspapers, in Abuja, Anosike vowed that Obiorah would not get a pin from Daily Times.

“Nobody can take anything belonging to Daily Times, not even one pin,” he said.

“We are not into property business, we are into publishing. We will continue to publish 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 Daily Times. It is not and will never be his property.

“When we bought 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 Daily Times. That you are claiming ownership of Daily Times because the minority share was divested in your favour is laughable. I cannot remember selling Daily Times to anyone called Ikechukwu Obiora.”

Nda Isaiah said there is a sinister motive behind the arrest of staff members of the newspaper.

Addressing journalists after the visit, Isaiah there was something suspicious in the way the matter is being handled by the police and the magistrate court in Mpape.

“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 take well-informed decision,” he said.

“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 person who ran to magistrate 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 going out of control.”