NEWS
Photojournalist accuses Senator Elisha Abbo of assault and breach of contract
The last has not been heard of Senator Elisha Abbo’s assault case as a photojournalist has again accused on assault. Few days ago, a video surfaced online where the Adamawa North senator was seen assaulting a woman several times in a sex shop. A photojournalist, Olumuyiwa Owolabi, has accused Senator Abbo of assault and breach of agreement. Owolabi told Punch that Senator Abbo also accused him of being a Boko Haram suspect also got the Police to lock him up.
Owolabi said he met Abbo in Ekiti state during the build-up to the 2014 governorship election in the state. Former governor Ayo Fayose was declared winner of the poll. Owolabi was Fayose’s personal photographer at the time.
Abbo, who was contesting for senator on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the time, who would later tell Owolabi to cover his political activities at the cost of N2.8 million.
On August 13, 2014, Owolabi would travel with Abbo to Yola, Adamawa State. They lodged at Lelewa Hotel for weeks while campaigning for the primaries which was eventually won by Senator Binta Masi Garba.
The photojournalist travelled along with the senator from Adamawa to Mubi, Vintim Muchala to Mubi and later back to Yola after he lost the senatorial primary.
Trouble started when Owolabi asked to be paid for work done.
“On approaching Senator Abbo to enforce the contract agreement we had, he refused to pay. He ignored several pleas for him to just give me part of my money,” Owolabi said.
“On the fateful day we wanted to travel together to Mubi for the last campaign, Boko Haram invaded the place prior to the day we ought to have travelled. Due to the attack by Boko Haram, I began to plead with him that I needed to leave the state.
“After several text messages and calls put through to him were ignored, I had no choice but to sit in front of his room where he was lodged at Dansoho Hotel, Yola. This was around 5 pm.”
The photojournalist alleged that when Abbo saw him, he got so angry that he began to beat him, slapping him repeatedly. Abbo allegedly called a policeman and told the cop that he was a Boko Haram suspect and should be arrested immediately.
“As soon as he came out, I began to plead with him that I had to go. The next thing he said was that I was embarrassing him. He started beating and slapping me. He told his orderly to put me inside the pickup truck. He told them to point their guns at me and that he would kill me and tell people I was a member of Boko Haram.
“When I heard that statement, I was shocked because I didn’t know anybody there and I couldn’t speak their language fluently. No one could come to my rescue when he brutalised me, causing me to sprain my ankle.
“I began begging him to just leave me and let me go that I would leave the money for him because of his action.”
He alleged that Abbo’s Police escort took him to Kaliwa Police Division around 2 a.m with the instruction that he should be shot dead if he failed to comport himself.
Owolabi said Abbo had broken his phone at the time and so he was locked up in the police station without any means of contacting anyone.
“He had damaged my phone I couldn’t contact anybody; he tore my clothes and I was virtually naked,” the photojournalist said.
“That very night, on getting to Kaliwa police station, I begged the investigating police officer to please let me use his phone to talk to one of my relatives. That was how I called one of my brothers that pleaded with the IPO to assist me out of the situation.
“The DPO came the following morning and begged him (Abbo) to give me transport fare to go back to meet my family. Till date, he hasn’t paid me the money,” he added.
The photojournalist, who pleaded with Nigerians to help him, also shared photos of private chats he purportedly had with Abbo.
Following the loud outcry against him, Senator Abbo has apologised to the woman he assaulted, also asking Nigerians to forgive his action. Addressing journalists in Abuja on Wednesday, July 3, 2019, Abbo said he is an ambassador of Christ with no tendency of violating the rights of any Nigerian.
The Nigerian Senate has set up an adhoc committee to investigate Abbo’s behaviour at the sex toy shop. Also, the Police on orders from the IGP has begun investigations into the Senator’s action at the shop.
