Sowore Challenges Ekiti Police Over ‘Minor Injury’ Claim After Attack, Says ‘We Were Brutally Assaulted

The presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, has challenged the Ekiti State Police Command over its description of an attack on him and members of his team in Ado-Ekiti, insisting that they were victims of a violent assault rather than an altercation.

Sowore raised the objection in a statement published on his official X account on Friday, October 30, after the police said he sustained minor injuries during an altercation with some individuals at a restaurant in the Dalimore area of the state capital.

The activist accused the police command of downplaying the incident despite the injuries sustained by members of his team.

He also claimed that the Commissioner of Police in Ekiti State, CP Falade Adegoroye Michael, personally visited the scene and subsequently saw the injured members of his team.

“There was no altercation! We were attacked!” Sowore declared, rejecting the police account.

According to him, the commissioner witnessed the aftermath of the incident and saw the injuries sustained by the victims but the command still characterised the injuries as minor.

Sowore also shared a video which he said showed the commissioner leaving the emergency room after observing their injuries.

The disagreement followed an earlier statement by the Ekiti State Police Command addressing reports that Sowore had been abducted by armed men in Ado-Ekiti.

In the statement issued through its Police Public Relations Officer, SP Sunday Abutu, the command denied that the AAC presidential candidate had been kidnapped.

The police said preliminary information indicated that Sowore had an altercation with some individuals at a restaurant in the Dalimore area, after which the command received a distress report.

It explained that operatives were immediately deployed to the location and successfully rescued him.

The command added that Sowore sustained a minor injury and was receiving medical attention at the Police Hospital in Ado-Ekiti.

The Commissioner of Police subsequently ordered a discreet investigation to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident, identify those involved and ensure that anyone found culpable was brought to justice.

However, Sowore’s latest statement has raised questions about the police characterisation of the incident and the extent of the injuries sustained by those involved.

Earlier, the Sowore/Magashi Presidential Election Campaign had raised the alarm over the incident, saying the candidate and members of his team were attacked at about 1pm on Friday.

The campaign’s spokesperson, Abdulkareem Musa, called on the Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Services (DSS), Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and other relevant authorities to investigate the incident and ensure the safety of the candidate.

Sowore subsequently alleged that the attackers came from the Ekiti State Government House and accused the DSS of providing them with tracking and operational support.

He also claimed that DSS operatives had been following and harassing his team since their arrival in the state.

These allegations have not been independently established, and no supporting evidence from the DSS or Ekiti State Government was available to confirm the claims.

The police investigation ordered by the commissioner is expected to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident and identify those responsible.