Sowore, Ekiti Police Clash Over Restaurant Incident Details

Omoyele Sowore, the 2027 presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, and the Ekiti State Police Command have presented sharply different versions of an incident that occurred Friday in Ado-Ekiti. Sowore reported being attacked by armed men at a restaurant in the state capital and subsequently taken by the assailants to an unknown location.

Police, however, described the episode as a minor altercation at a dining establishment where Sowore sustained injuries before being rescued and transported to the Police Hospital. Sowore characterised the encounter as a violent, politically-motivated assault targeting himself and members of his travelling team.

Through social media posts, he alleged that the armed individuals who attacked him came from Ekiti Government House and had backing from the Department of State Services. He shared images showing himself and one associate receiving treatment in hospital beds.

The Ekiti State Police Public Relations Officer, through spokesperson Sunday Abutu, rejected Sowore's framing and maintained that the incident was limited in scope. Senior Advocate of Nigeria Femi Falana has weighed in on the matter, asserting that the armed men responsible for the attack are identifiable individuals and calling for their arrest.

Falana's intervention follows Sowore's accusation that the Department of State Services was complicit in the attack, a charge that aligns with his broader claims of state-sponsored violence. The divergence between Sowore's account and police statements reflects the absence of a shared narrative regarding what transpired inside the restaurant.

Sowore's hospital photographs and claims of kidnapping stand in contrast to police descriptions of a contained altercation. No independent verification of either account has been provided by third parties, and the circumstances surrounding Sowore's rescue or release remain unclear based on available reporting.