The Nigerian Police have cleared a former Senator representing Adamawa North, Ishaku Abbo, of an alleged rape of a minor, saying investigations found no credible evidence to support the claim.
Police authorities, in a statement made available to journalists in Abuja on Sunday, said Abbo was exonerated after a thorough investigation ordered by the Inspector-General of Police, following a petition submitted in 2025.
Abbo was accused through a petition written by Mrs Zainab Mohammed and addressed to the IGP in September 2025 of allegedly raping Khadija Mohammed at his Katampe Extension residence in Abuja on Sunday, June 29, 2025.
On the strength of the petition, police authorities said they swung into action, mandating four specialised units—the Force Criminal Investigation Department Gender Unit, the National Cybercrime Centre, the Intelligence Tactical Unit and the Medical Unit—to investigate the allegation.
A report of the investigation signed by the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Oki Rita Oyintare, of the FCID, and dated October 23, 2025, said the essential elements of the alleged offence were lacking.
“After an extensive investigation in this case, it was discovered that the essential elements of this offence are lacking as a result of the time frame between the date of the commission of the alleged offence and the time it was reported for police investigation,” the report stated.
It added, “That scene of crime/execution of search warrant was conducted on 3rd October 2025, but unfortunately, all ingredients to support the offence were not seen, probably because of the time frame from 29th June 2025 to 3rd October 2025.”
According to the report, the alleged survivor was taken to Deda Hospital by her parents on July 10, 2025, while the case was officially reported to the police on September 15, 2025.
“The medical report from Deda Hospital dated 11th July 2025 indicates that the survivor’s hymen was not breached, meaning the alleged victim is still a virgin as of 10th July 2025, about 11 days after the alleged rape,” the report said.
The police also noted that the complainant allegedly attempted to preserve documents from Nafisi’s phone but failed to submit the device for forensic analysis, after which the phone was reportedly flashed and no data was recovered.
The report further stated that Patience Jesse, who opened the door for Nafisa and Khadija on June 29, 2025, “did not witness any rape of the survivor.”
Investigators said the alleged incident was said to have occurred between 2pm and 4pm at Abbo’s Katampe residence, noting that only three people—Patience Jesse, Nafisa Mohammed and the senator—were present in the house at the time.
“The security man at the gate, Patience Jesse, Nafisa Mohammed and Senator Ishaku Elisha Abbo were the only persons at home during the time of visitation by Khadija and Nafisa. All three said there was no rape,” the report stated.
The report also disclosed that Abbo had accused Khadija Mohammed and Nafisa Mohammed Chigli of stealing his wife’s gold jewellery on June 30, 2025, a matter he reportedly reported at the Dawaki Police Station on July 16, 2025.
It added that medical screening tests for hepatitis B and C, syphilis and HIV were negative. At the same time, nothing incriminating was found during the execution of a search warrant at the senator’s residence on October 3, 2025.
When contacted on Sunday, Abbo declined to comment extensively on the matter.
“God will expose all evil plans against me and reward the doers according to their deeds,” he said.
In October 2025, Abbo dismissed reports that he was arrested by the police over the alleged rape of a 13-year-old girl, describing the claims as “a smear campaign by political enemies.”
The reports, which went viral, alleged that he was in police custody after a teenager’s mother accused him of sexually assaulting her daughter at his Katampe residence on June 29, 2025.
Abbo was first elected to the Senate in 2019 on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party before defecting to the All Progressives Congress in 2020.
He was re-elected in 2023 but was later sacked by the Court of Appeal, which declared the PDP candidate, Amos Yohanna, as the duly elected senator for Adamawa North.
