Explainer: Elisha Abbo Is Trending Again, Here Is Why

On 2 October 2025, former senator Elisha Abbo turned himself in to the Nigeria Police Force Criminal Investigation Department in Abuja after being accused of raping a 13-year-old pupil at his residence in Katampe.

The incident was reported to have happened on 29 June 2025. According to the victim’s parents, Senator Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed Binani, a former governorship candidate in Adamawa State, visited their home and pleaded with them not to make the case public. They also alleged that Abbo sent money to the girl’s father several times, which they saw as attempts to silence the family and cover up the matter.

This is not the first time Elisha Abbo has been at the center of a public scandal. In 2019, he was arrested after a video went viral showing him assaulting a woman inside a sex toy shop in Abuja. The video captured Abbo repeatedly slapping the woman while shouting insults, and later ordering a policeman who was present to drag her out as her friend tried to shield her. The footage sparked outrage across the country and raised questions about accountability among public officials.

His name surfaced again in another controversy when he was accused online of blackmailing a woman for sex. The case ended after the accuser withdrew the claim and issued a public apology, but the story had already circulated widely on social media adding to the damage to his reputation.

Now with fresh allegations of sexual assault involving a minor, Abbo is once again facing police investigation and heavy public scrutiny. Child rights groups and civil society organisations have demanded a transparent process as Nigerians watch closely to see if justice will be served.

The case is still under police investigation and has not yet gone to trial. What happens next will be closely watched, not only because of the seriousness of the allegation but also because of Abbo’s history of public scandals. For many Nigerians, the outcome will be a test of how the justice system handles cases involving powerful figures and whether victims of abuse, especially children, can truly find protection under the law.