The President of the Senate, Ahmed Lawan, on Wednesday raised an ad hoc committee to investigate allegations of assault against a senator representing Adamawa North, Cliff Elisha Abbo.
The adhoc panel was given two weeks to submit its report.
Mr Abbo appeared in a CCTV footage, published by Premium Times slapping a nursing mother who was trying to calm him down not to beat another woman.
The assault, which reportedly occurred on May 11, 2019, was done in the presence of an armed policeman, who rather than assist the victim, arrested her.
Raising the matter on the floor of the Senate on Wednesday under matters of privileges, a senator representing Kaduna Central, Uba Sani, said the development has brought him and the entire Senate to ridicule.
Mr Sani said he had received over 111 calls between Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning from both within and outside Nigeria regarding the issue.
He told the Senate that he was embarrassed by the incident as a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
In his response, Senate President, Ahmad Lawan said whatever that was seen or read on the social media and the mainstream media on the matter remained allegations unless they were investigated.
In his contribution, Opeyemi Bamidele (APC, Ekiti), suggested that the matter should be investigated to unravel the true situation of what transpired.
On his part, Minority Leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (PDP, Abia), said the Senate rules provided how each and every senator should behave both within and outside the chamber.
He said as privileged Nigerians, the senators have the responsibility of behaving in a good way, but that the matter at hand could not be judged until an investigation was done.
Senate Leader, Senator Abdullahi Yahaya (APC, Kebbi) supported the move to constitute an adhoc panel to probe the matter.
Senate President Lawan then remarked that he too had received several calls from within and outside the country on the issue.
He said the Senate would not condone any act of violence against Nigerians.
He said the investigation would provide an opportunity for Mr Abbo and the lady alleged to have been assaulted to defend themselves.
Constituting the committee, Mr Lawan announced that the adhoc panel would be headed by Senator Samuel Egwu (PDP, Ebonyi), with senators Oluremi Tinubu (APC,Lagos), Matthew Urhoghide (PDP, Edo), Stella Oduah (PDP, Anambra), Mohammed Sani Musa (APC, Niger), Danladi Sankara (APC, Jigawa) and Halliru Dauda Jika (APC, Bauchi) as members.
