Newspaper disassociates itself from Obaigbena over NSA payment claim

Peoples Media Limited, the publishers of the newspaper Peoples Daily, disassociated themselves from the group of 12 newspapers that allegedly received N10 million each from the former National Security Advisor (NSA) Sambo Dasuki.

Earlier this week the publisher of ThisDay, Nduka Obaigbena, admitted to receiving N120 million in March 2015 on behalf of the Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN). It will be recalled that SaharaReporters provided the list of the newspapers that allegedly received the monies from Mr. Dasuki.

Among those listed was Peoples Daily, however, the Chief Operating Officer of the newspaper, Ali Ali, denied receiving any money from the former NSA.

''One of the revelations to come out of the current inquisition of the former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd) is that this newspaper [Peoples Daily], among several other national dailies, received the sum of N10 million from the office of the former NSA through Nduka Obaigbena, the President of Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria, NPAN.

''This is new to us. At no time was this money made available to us in whatever guise. We wish to state clearly that it is false and therefore, wish to completely distance this medium from this revelation.

''We don’t know of others, therefore, we can’t speak for them,'' Mr. Ali said in a statement.