A Magistrate’s Court setting in Zuba has granted N5 million bail to Elisha Abbo, hours after the police arraigned the senator on a two-count charge of criminal assault.
The magistrate also said the senator must present two competent sureties to the court to secure his appearance in subsequent hearings on the criminal charges.
Abbo pleaded not guilty to both charges, sidestepping his admission of wrongdoing and an apology to both the victims and Nigerians last Wednesday.
The police filed two counts of criminal use of force and criminal assault against Abbo yesterday morning, days after he was caught on video assaulting a woman in Abuja.
PREMIUM TIMES published the exclusive video of the May 11 assault on Tuesday, drawing nationwide condemnation and calls for the senator’s arrest and prosecution. Abbo, Nigeria’s youngest senator and member of the opposition PDP, spent the night in custody after responding to police summons on Thursday.
The senator is expected to immediately meet the bail conditions and go home from the court rather than being hauled to prison, police sources said.
Also the National Council for Women Society (NCWS), FCT Chapter, on Sunday rejected the apology tendered by Sen. Elisha Abbo, for assaulting a nursing mother in an Abuja adult toy shop recently.
The FCT Chairman of NCWS, Mrs Hadiza Umar, while briefing newsmen in Abuja, advocated for stiffer punishment for Abbo to serve as deterrent to others who assault women in workplace, shops or markets.
“I am here with my executives and members of NCWS FCT chapter for a peaceful demonstration on what an elected senator, who is suppose to serve us did to one of our women.
” We want to stop the barbaric habits on women either at home, in the markets, shops, workplace and everywhere in the country.
“We are women of women of integrity and mothers, we are not animals and we are saying no to violence against all women and the assault should stop with immediate effects,” she said.
She called on the United Nations and all other international organisations to ensure the prosecution of Abbo in order to guard against future occurrence. ” We reject his apology and we will do everything within the ambit of law to demand justice for our fellow woman who was assaulted,” she said.
The Acting Secretary, FCT Social Development Secretariat (SDS), Mrs Safiya Umar, said violence against women is an international offence as clearly stipulated in the UN Convention and Beijing Charter. She disclosed that the secretariat had send an invitation to Abbo for him to come and explain what transpired.
According to her, the secretariat is very passionate about anything that affects women and children in the FCT.
. The Director of Gender Development Department, Mrs Hart Agnes, said the department would not relent in doing everything humanly possible to stop violence against women, children and the Physically Challenge People in the FCT.
“It is our mandate to remain focus, to fight this monster that is bedeviling our society. “It is so strange and unbecoming to us of a human being treating a fellow human being in such a disgraceful manner.
“The video we saw is mindbogglingly because some of us couldn’t sleep after watching the video.
” We are overwhelmed with issues of domestic violence in highly places, people you least expected will demonstrate that level of venom on a fellow human being,” Agnes said. (NAN)
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