"I parted ways with him when he defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC); ever since he's been plotting to harm me."
Political thugs loyal to Senator Elisha Abbo have allegedly assaulted one Silas Daniel, causing him grievous injuries in Adamawa State.
Silas, an estranged former Personal Assistant (PA) to Abbo, was attacked with machetes, daggers and clubs by thugs, allegedly on the order of the lawmaker.
Abbo became infamous in a similar circumstance when he assaulted a nursing mother at a sex toy shop in Abuja two years ago. The incident was captured by a CCTV camera. [story_link align="left"]71370[/story_link]
SaharaReporters learnt that Silas, who is in a critical condition at the Adamawa/German Hospital, Yola, was reportedly manhandled on December 23, 2021, in Vimtim, in the Mubi Local Government Area, during a football competition, which he had sponsored.
SaharaReporters learnt that the football tournament had attracted young people to Silas, which Senator Abbo, saw as a threat to his popularity among the youths.
Narrating his ordeal to SaharaReporters, Silas said, "Senator Abbo had recruited the thugs and detailed them to kill me.
"I parted ways with him when he defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC); ever since he's been plotting to harm me.
"When I announced this year's annual football competition on our Fali tribal WhatsApp platform, he (Abbo) opposed it, saying it was improper for an individual to sponsor the event.
"He insisted that the tournament must be taken away from me and managed by Fali Cultural Development Association.
"He had no problems with individual sponsorship of the events previously because I gave credit to him back then when I served as his Personal Assistant.
"Now that we have severed ties, I'm in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), he saw the event as a threat to his popularity among the youths, therefore, he wanted it scuttled.
"During the grand finale on December 23, 2021, while a football match was being played at Vintim playground; the senator's thugs, led by one of the policemen attached to him, pounced on me with machetes, daggers and clubs.
"They macheted my head, my back and stripped me almost necked, leaving only boxers on me.
"They carted away my handbag containing money, N200,000, two iPhones, one iTel phone and one Nokia phone
"The boys playing football had to abandon the match and run to rescue me," he said.
When SaharaReporters contacted one Inspector Nicholas, who is a police orderly attached to the senator, he denied witnessing the assault.
"I've not seen anything like that; by the way, I'm a professional police officer, trained to protect civilians and to prevent crime. It would be out of place to harm civilians with whose tax money I'm being paid sir," he said.
Efforts to get Senator Abbo to respond were unsuccessful, as calls to his verified mobile phone number indicated "the phone number you dialled does not exist". The senator did not respond to a WhatsApp message sent to him.
When contacted, Senator Abbo's media aide, Michael Bolgent, promised to call back but had not done so as of the time of filing this report.