The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) yesterday said it would investigate the alleged assault of Emily Eric, wife of the Senator representing Adamawa North Senatorial District, Elisha Abbo.

The father of Emily Eric, Pastor Alfred Dari, had claimed that the senator allegedly abducted his daughter from home since January 2016 and has been assaulting her since then without paying her bride price.

Eric, the acclaimed wife to Sen Abbo, became popular on social media since a video clip of her embattled husband who was sighted beating a woman in an adult toyshop in Abuja emerged online.

But reacting to a LEADERSHIP report published on Friday, the Executive Secretary (ES), National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Anthony Ojukwu said even though there is no formal complaint about the incident, the commission will look into the assault claim.

“Well, we just read it. There is no formal complaint before us now. But having read the story, we are interested in the issue of domestic violence. We will investigate that. We will ask the lady to come. If we establish there is an issue of domestic violence, we will also ask the Senator to come,” Ojukwu told LEADERSHIP Sunday.

Meanwhile, Sen Elisha Abbo (PDP, Adamawa North), in his reaction to the story yesterday, alleged that Pastor Alfred Dari was paid N500,000 to tarnish his image with such claims.

Abbo who could not mention the person that gave the pastor the money, said he could not respond to enquiries sent to him on Thursday, July 11, 2019 because he only saw the message after reading the earlier story.

According to the Senator, he won’t want to join issues with someone paid to do a hatchet job.

He said, “I am just seeing your SMS after reading your interview with Mr. Alfred Dari, an uncle to my wife, Emily Eric.

“My brother, I won’t join issues with a man paid to do a hatchet job. I wish the N500K he received for the interview will help his family,” the Senator said.

But Pastor Alfred Dari last night denied that he collected money to speak with LEADERSHIP Friday concerning the alleged abduction and assault of Eric.

“That I collected money from who? Who gave me money? Nobody gave me money. Nobody gave me money.”

“If I had money, I would have come to Abuja, to places like Human Rights Radio and other places. It is someone that connected me to LEADERSHIP Newspaper and they helped in conveying my cry through their medium.

“So, nobody gave me money and nobody promised me money. That is my position. Anybody that said I collected money, God knows that one. I know myself. Even my daughter that is with him knows that I am a man of integrity. She knows that very well. It is just that she has been brainwashed,” Dari said. (LEADERSHIP)

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