Elisha Abbo, the senator representing Adamawa-North (PDP), has admitted that the incident portrayed in the video showing him beating up a lady in a sex toy shop occurred in March 2019.
Abbo said this in a brief chat with Punch on Tuesday, soon after Premium Times broke the story.
He said he was putting a team together and he would give a response soon.
Abbo said, “Hello Eniola, I saw your message and I am aware of the report. I am putting my team together. I am aware that the thing happened around March this year but I will get in touch with you when we finish discussion. I am in a meeting now.”
Abbo had attracted criticisms from a large section of Nigerians after being caught on video slapping a nursing mother repeatedly at a sex toy shop in the Wuse 2 area of Abuja.
Abbo, who defeated the respected Senator Binta Garba, to emerge as the winner of the Adamawa North senatorial district, was seen assaulting the woman in a video posted by Premium Times
The assault, which reportedly occurred on May 11, 2019, was done in the presence of an armed policeman who rather than assist the victim, arrested her.
Abbo, who is the youngest senator in the country, had entered the shop around 6:00 p.m. on May 11, a Saturday. The senator walked in with three young women to purchase adult toys.
But shortly after they began shopping for the toys, one of the three ladies brought in by Mr Abbo started throwing up. She vomited multiple times, prompting the shop owner to remark that the woman should have vomited outside and not inside her shop, especially since she was not a child.
Abbo, who was said to be agitated by the sudden illness of one of the ladies, was said to have accused the shop owner of poisoning the store’s air conditioner.
The shop owner’s argument that if the air conditioner had been contaminated others in the shop would have also taken ill was said to have angered Abbo, and the two began exchanging words over the matter.
The senator was said to have called a policeman who he then ordered to arrest the shop owner.
The shop owner quickly called her father to inform him that Abbo had called the police over the matter and that she was about to be taken away.
The shop owner’s friend who had been standing nearby tried to intervene by pleading with the second man to take things easy but was slapped repeatedly by the lawmaker.
The video was met with outrage on social media and he began to trend with the hashtag, #SenatorElishaAbbo.
Here are some of the top tweets.
FULL TEXT: Utterly barbaric and shameful behaviour from Sen. Elisha Abbo,the youngest member of the Senate.This is unacceptable and something must be done about it.I call for his arrest and prosecution for assault and battery.I advise the younglady that was beaten to sue him! pic.twitter.com/bLaDTJw787
— Femi Fani-Kayode (@realFFK) July 2, 2019
#senatorelishaabbo
This is disgusting, how can someone slap a lady so hard in public like that, The Nigeria Senate house is not a place for animals. Resignation letter must be tender with assault charges— propela_graphics (@BakoOvey) July 2, 2019
Senator @senbintamasi was doing well at the Red Chamber, but some decided to change for the woman-beater #SenatorElishaAbbo.
Something must be done about this beast of a Senator. @SPNigeria @NGRSenate @AsoRock @DrAhmadLawan @OvieOmoAgege pic.twitter.com/4qj2pwNYFd
— Okakwu Umuozoma Umuli🇳🇬 (@EmekaNjidda) July 2, 2019
https://twitter.com/nathpikin/status/1146160084910845952
A man who lacks character and does not have control over his emotions… Only God knows what his wife will be going through #SenatorElishaAbbo @Osekita @Aweleokolo pic.twitter.com/3yAtAu3cL8
— Abayomi Rotimi Mighty (@AbayomiMighty) July 2, 2019
https://twitter.com/omoba_scholes/status/1146148988690796544
The allegation against #SenatorElishaAbbo should receive serious attention by the executives of the @NGRSenate. Also, @OfficialPDPNig needs to investigate this matter and sanction him if found culpable. @DrAhmadLawan @officialKolaO @GEJonathan @renoomokri @PremiumTimesng
— Àtatos (@Ayinlatatosin) July 2, 2019
