Omoyele Sowore with bandages
* Sowore was discharged at about 4:30 p.m. on Friday.
Omoyele Sowore, the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), has challenged the Ekiti State Police Command’s account of an incident in Ado-Ekiti, insisting that he and members of his team were attacked by armed men.
The incident occurred on Friday, October 30, 2026, at a restaurant in the Dallimore area of Ado-Ekiti. Initial reports on social media claimed that Sowore had been kidnapped, but the police subsequently denied the allegation, confirming that he had been rescued and taken to a hospital for treatment.
The Ekiti State Police Command said preliminary information indicated that Sowore was involved in an altercation with some individuals at the restaurant before officers were alerted.
The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Abutu Sunday, said operatives swiftly responded to the report, rescued those affected and ensured they received medical attention.
According to the command, Sowore sustained injuries during the incident and was taken to the Police Cottage Hospital in Ado-Ekiti.
In a subsequent update on Saturday, October 31, the police confirmed that Sowore and other people involved had been treated and discharged.
The command also disclosed that Sowore was discharged at about 4:30 p.m. on Friday and returned to Ikogosi Warm Springs Resort, where he had been staying.
The Commissioner of Police in Ekiti State, Falade Adegoroye Michael, ordered a discreet and comprehensive investigation to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident and identify those responsible.
The police further stated that efforts to obtain Sowore’s formal statement had been unsuccessful, adding that he had declined several requests to assist the investigation.
Sowore has rejected the police description of the incident as an altercation, maintaining that he and his associates were attacked by suspected political thugs.
In statements shared on social media, the AAC presidential candidate accused the alleged attackers of having links to the Ekiti State Government House and claimed that operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) provided assistance that enabled the attack.
Sowore also accused the police and the DSS of taking possession of CCTV footage from the restaurant, alleging that the recordings could help identify those responsible for the incident.
These allegations have not been independently established, and the DSS had not issued a public response to them in the reports reviewed.
The conflicting accounts have raised questions about the circumstances that led to the confrontation. While the police maintain that the incident followed an altercation, Sowore insists that it was a deliberate and violent attack.
The investigation ordered by the police commissioner is expected to establish what happened and determine whether anyone should face prosecution.
The Ekiti State Police Command has urged members of the public to remain calm and avoid circulating unverified information capable of creating panic or tension.
The command also reaffirmed its commitment to protecting residents, visitors and political stakeholders irrespective of their political affiliations or social status.
Although the police have denied that Sowore was kidnapped, the disagreement over whether the incident was an altercation or a coordinated attack remains unresolved in the reports available.
Further details may emerge as the investigation progresses and the parties provide additional information.
Sowore was reportedly in Ekiti State for political engagements and to participate in the annual Ikogosi 17.5-kilometre marathon scheduled for Saturday, October 31, 2026.
According to reports, he was also expected to take part in the event the previous year.
The marathon is scheduled to begin in Ilawe-Ekiti and end at Ikogosi-Ekiti, in Ekiti West Local Government Area of the state.
