Former lawmaker Ishaku Abbo, who represented the Adamawa North Senatorial District, has been cleared of allegations related to the rape of a minor.
On Sunday, the Nigeria Police announced that their investigations found no credible evidence supporting the claim.
In a statement issued in Abuja, the police authorities stated that Abbo was exonerated following a thorough investigation ordered by the Inspector-General of Police, in response to a petition submitted in 2025.
It is important to note that Abbo was accused through a petition filed by Mrs. Zainab Mohammed and addressed to the IGP in September 2025, alleging that he raped Khadija Mohammed at his Katampe Extension residence in Abuja on June 29, 2025.
The police, acting on the petition, mobilized four specialized units—the Force Criminal Investigation Department Gender Unit, the National Cybercrime Centre, the Intelligence Tactical Unit, and the Medical Unit—to investigate the allegations.
According to the investigation report, signed by Deputy Commissioner of Police Oki Rita Oyintare of the FCID and dated October 23, 2025, the essential elements of the alleged offense were found to be lacking.
“After an extensive investigation in this case, it was discovered that the essential elements of this offense are lacking due to the time frame between the date of the alleged offense and when it was reported for police investigation.
“The scene of the crime was searched on October 3, 2025, but unfortunately, all ingredients to support the offense were absent, likely because of the gap from June 29, 2025, to October 3, 2025,” the statement read.
The report indicated that the alleged survivor was taken to Deda Hospital by her parents on July 10, 2025, while the case was formally reported to police on September 15, 2025.
“The medical report from Deda Hospital, dated July 11, 2025, indicates that the survivor’s hymen was not breached, meaning the alleged victim is still a virgin as of July 10, 2025, approximately 11 days after the alleged rape,” the report stated.
The police also noted that the complainant allegedly attempted to preserve documents from Nafisa’s phone but failed to submit the device for forensic analysis. Subsequently, the phone was reportedly wiped clean, leading to the loss of data.
The report further mentioned that Patience Jesse, who opened the door for Nafisa and Khadija on June 29, 2025, “did not witness any rape of the survivor.”
Investigators clarified that the alleged incident was said to have taken place between 2 PM and 4 PM at Abbo’s Katampe residence and that only three individuals—Patience Jesse, Nafisa Mohammed, and the senator—were present in the house at that time.
“The security man at the gate, Patience Jesse, Nafisa Mohammed, and Senator Ishaku Elisha Abbo were the only persons at home during the visit by Khadija and Nafisa. All three stated that no rape occurred,” the report concluded.
The report also disclosed that Abbo had accused Khadija Mohammed and Nafisa Mohammed Chigli of stealing his wife’s gold jewelry on June 30, 2025, a matter he reportedly raised at the Dawaki Police Station on July 16, 2025.
Additionally, medical screening tests for hepatitis B and C, syphilis, and HIV returned negative results. At the same time, nothing incriminating was discovered during the execution of a search warrant at the senator’s residence on October 3, 2025.
