For attempting to remind Elisha Abbo, a senator representing Adamawa North, of a lingering debt, photo-journalist, Owolabi-Atobatele, was rewarded with a broken ankle in return, with threats that he could be dispatched off the earth via gunshots.
More than that, his work tool was allegedly damaged.
Abbo has been under fire since a video where he was seen hitting an attendant at a sex toy shop in Abuja went viral.
The senator later admitted he erred and apologised.
Regardless, hours after the apology on Wednesday, July 3, 2019, Owolabi-Atobatele narrated his encounter with the lawmaker whom he said ordered policemen to shoot him at a point.
The journalist said he met Abbo during the Ekiti State governorship election of 2014 and that the senator later offered him a N2.8 million contract; to work as media consultant for his political campaign ahead, of the 2015 elections.
Owolabi-Atobatele said after Abbo lost the senatorial ticket, he refused to pay for the contract and all attempts to reach him became futile.
Owolabi-Atobatele tells his story: “The viral video of senator Elisha Cliff ishiaku Abbo assaulting a young lady isn’t a new thing to me. As I was one of his victim of assault years back precisely October 14, 2014, after the gubernatorial election of former governor, Fayose…
“I had a contract of N2.8 million with him, to work as a media personnel to him, to cover all his movements for the election and for his campaign as senator, in Mubi North, under the All Progressives Congress in 2015.
“On August 13, 2015, I traveled with him to Yola Adamawa State, from Abuja by air and we lodged at Lelewa hotel for weeks, while campaigning for the primary election.
“We traveled from Adamawa to Mubi, Vintim Muchala, back to Mubi and later to Yola, after he lost the senatorial ticket.”
Owolabi-Atobatele, who shared screenshots of his chats with Abbo, said instead of paying him, the senator beat him and broke his ankle.
“On approaching senator Ishiaku of the contract agreement we had together, he refused to pay.
“Despite so many persuasions, in order for him to just give me part of my money, he refused to attend to me.
“On the fateful day, we wanted to travel together to Mubi, for the last campaign, but Boko Haram invaded Mubi prior to the day we ought to have travel.
“Due to the invasion, I began to plead with him that I needed to leave the state.
“The next thing he said was that I was embarrassing him. He leaped on me and started beating and slapping me; to the extent of telling his orderly to put me inside a pick-up vehicle.
“He told them to cock the gun at me, that he will kill me and tell people am a member of Boko Haram.
“When I heard that statement, I was shocked because I didn’t know anybody there and I can’t speak their language fluently.
“No one could come to my rescue as everybody was just dumbfounded at the way he brutalised me and broke my ankle.
“I begged him to just leave me and let me go that I will leave the money for him; because of his action.
“That very night, at around 2:00am, I was driven along a quiet area and I heard him telling his orderly that they should shoot me if I dared shout again.
“On that fateful night, one of his orderly begged that they should take me to a police station.
“He broke my phone, I couldn’t contact anybody.
“He tore my clothes and I was practically naked.
“Till date, he didn’t pay me the money.”
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