The High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), sitting in Gwagwalada, on Wednesday arraigned former senator representing Adamawa North, Ishaku Elisha Abbo, over an alleged rape case of 13-year-old schoolgirl. Abbo and another defendant were charged in a criminal case filed by the Inspector General of Police, and the court granted both defendants bail after they pleaded not guilty to all the counts.
The case, Charge No: CR/635/25, titled Inspector General of Police v. Senator Ishaku Elisha Abbo & Anor, is being heard before Honourable Justice I. Mohammed in Court 50 of the FCT High Court, Gwagwalada.
When the matter was called, the court confirmed that it was properly constituted and that all parties were present. The defendants were in court as proceedings formally commenced. Appearances in court were announced as follows: J. B. Anzaku appeared for the Prosecution, M. J. Numa, SAN, represented the 1st Defendant, Senator Ishaku Elisha Abbo, while Sunusi Musa, SAN, acted for the 2nd Defendant.
K. O. Otumala and Dahiru Ibrahim were present, watching brief on behalf of the nominal complainant. At the commencement of proceedings, counsel for the nominal complainant formally announced their appearance. The court granted bail to the 1st Defendant, Senator Ishaku Elisha Abbo, in the sum of ₦50 million, with two sureties of good repute, and ordered him to surrender his international passport. The 2nd Defendant was granted bail in the sum of ₦40 million, also with two sureties of good repute. Following the bail rulings, the court adjourned the case to February 11, 2026, for hearing.
The Police had earlier filed a string of criminal charges against Abbo, accusing him of the rape and sexual assault of a 13-year-old schoolgirl. The charges were filed at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Abuja on October 30, 2025
The Inspector General of Police’s legal team submitted nine counts against the former lawmaker, who represented Adamawa North Senatorial District until an appellate court sacked him in October 2023. The charges border on rape, sexual molestation, and other related offences against a minor.
The legal action follows a police investigation into the disturbing allegations, which concluded that there was sufficient evidence “to test the case in court.” The charges stem from a detailed account provided by the victim, a Junior Secondary School 3 (JSS3) student.
Senator Abbo is not new to controversies. In 2019, he drew public ire after he was caught on camera battering a woman in a sex toy shop in Abuja. The court later awarded a fine of N50 million against the lawmaker for assault. A few months later, the controversial lawmaker was again caught on camera assaulting a man identified as Silas Daniel in his Mubi hometown.
Silas, an estranged former Personal Assistant (PA) to Abbo, was attacked with machetes, daggers and clubs by thugs, reportedly on the orders of the lawmaker.
