Facts have emerged stating how the intervention of Vice President YemiOsinbajo and subsequent action by Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) AbubakarMalami combined to restrain Police High Command from initiating proceedings against the top management of officers of Folio Communications Plc, publishers of Daily Times of Nigeria,DTN.

The Vice President and the AGF in separate letters called for caution leading to the suspension of all the cases against Folio management as well the setting up of a committee to resolve the civil dispute between Folio and IkechukwuObiora.

According to a letter by the Vice President Ref No SH/OVP/DCOS/misc./0410 dated 30^th August, 2018 and addressed to Dr. Fidelis Anosike, Chairman Folio Communications Limited, Osinbajo informed Folio management that their petition earlier submitted to his office on the unrelenting prosecution by the Police as well as the illegal occupation of Daily Times premises in Agidingbi has been forwarded to the Attorney General of the Federation for action.

The letter reads, “I am directed by His Excellency, Prof. YemiOsinbajo, SAN, Vice President, Federal Republic of Nigeria, to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 20^th August, 2018, on the above stated subject and inform you that it has been forwarded to the Attorney General of the Federation and Hon. Minister of Justice, for further consideration and necessary action.” It was signed by Ade Ipaye, Deputy Chief of Staff, Office of the Vice President.

Following the directives of the Vice President to the Attorney General of the Federation, the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation on 18^th September, 2018, wrote a letter to the Inspector General of Police, informing him that the AGF has set up a five-man committee to look into the dispute between Folio management and Sen. IkechukwuObiora with the aim of bringing it to a final settlement.

The letter from the DPP indicted the Police for initiating criminal proceedings against Folio management in spite of their earlier petition to the AGF which was sent to the IGP for opinion and which the Police hierarchy had not responded to.

The DPP therefore directed the Police to suspend all actions on the matter and as well forward the case files to the office of the DPP for the use of the AGF’s five-man committee.

Signed by Mohammed U. E, Director, Public Prosecution of the Federation himself, the letter was titled “Daily Times of Nigeria Plc: Petition against unlawful takeover of Daily Times of Nigeria by members of the Nigerian Police at the premises.”

 See details of the letter: “I am directed to refer to the letter dated 6^th August, 2018 forwarding a duplicate case file for legal advice in the case number CB:3514/x/legFHQ/ABJ/vol.36/21 and submitted with a bundle containing documents in support of submissions made by Senator IkechukwuObiora in relation to the above subject matter.

“The Hon. Attorney- General of the Federation notes that a petition from one Fidelis Anosike on the same matter was forwarded to your office via our letter reference DPPA/PET/322/18 dated 23^rd July, 2018. However, we have not received any response yet.

“Having looked at the entire case file, the Hon. Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice observed that this case has lingered in a rancorous battle between two contending parties for so long. Various opinions have been made at different times by this office and the Nigerian Police, with no resolution so far.

“In view of the above, the Hon Attorney-General has approved that a five-man committee be constituted to study the entire case files with the view to making holistic recommendations to settle and bring all the contentious issues to a final end. I am therefore mandated to request that you suspend all actions on the case, and forward the case files on the subject matter to this office to enable the committee deal with it, and accordingly make comprehensive recommendations to the Attorney-General.

“Accept the assurances of the warm regards of the Hon. Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice,” the letter concluded.

It would be recalled that the Nigerian Police, at the prompting of a former lawmaker, Senator IkechukwuObiora has initiated several criminal proceedings against Folio and its leadership over business disagreement on Daily Times which several courts, including the Court of Appeal have in the past ruled as purely civil and therefore with no criminal ingredients. This year alone, five of such charges have been initiated by the Police, even as some Police men are currently occupying the Agidingbi Lagos headquarters of Daily Times, in an illegal action.

Another of such cases was filed by the Police in June 2018 which prompted Folio Communications to petition several authorities including President MuhammaduBuhari, Vice President Osinbajo, AGF Malami, Chief Justice of Nigeria and the National Judicial Council, among others.

In the petitions, Folio complained that Police High Command, in collusion with Sen. IkechukwuObiora have been subjecting its Chairman Dr. Fidelis Anosike and other top management of the company to unceasing harassment, intimidation and unjust criminal prosecution on a case that the Court of Appeal had in 2010 ruled to be purely civil dispute.

When the most recent case came up again on 19^th September, 2018 before Court 28, Apo resettlement Area Abuja, presided over by Justice Valentine Ashi, Chairman of Folio and Publisher of Daily Times of Nigeria Dr. Fidelis Anosike and the Group Managing Director of the Company Barrister Noel Anosikewere in court alongside other top management staff.