Sowore Injured in Attack at Ekiti Restaurant as Police Deny Abduction ClaimsIt will

Presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, has sustained injuries after an attack at a restaurant in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, with the police confirming that he is receiving medical treatment at a hospital in the state.

The incident occurred on Friday, October 30, 2026, at Tawakal’tu Restaurants and Catering Services in the Dalimore area of Ado-Ekiti, where the activist was reportedly with members of his entourage.

Sowore’s media team initially raised the alarm, alleging that armed men attacked the group, abducted the AAC presidential candidate and left his whereabouts unknown.

However, the Ekiti State Police Command denied that Sowore was kidnapped, saying officers responded to a distress report and rescued him from the situation.

In a statement issued by the command’s spokesperson, SP Sunday Abutu, the police said preliminary information indicated that Sowore had an altercation with some individuals at the restaurant before officers were alerted.

According to the police, operatives were immediately deployed to the location and took the activist to the Police Hospital in Ado-Ekiti, where he was receiving treatment for what the command described as a minor injury.

The Commissioner of Police, Michael Falade, 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 rejected the police description of the incident as an altercation, insisting that he and members of his team were attacked.

In a subsequent reaction shared on his social media account, the activist accused the police of downplaying the violence, claiming that the commissioner had personally visited the scene and seen the injuries sustained by members of his entourage.

He also alleged that the attackers were government-sponsored thugs who had received assistance from the Department of State Services (DSS).

Earlier, Sowore’s media team accused the DSS of leaking his exact location to the attackers, claiming that information provided by the security agency enabled them to locate the presidential candidate and his team.

In a statement shared on his official X account, the team said:

“We have been brutally attacked and injured by well armed government-sponsored thugs in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State. The @OfficialDSSNG provided these attackers with our exact location, enabling them to carry out this vicious assault. We won’t back down! We have a country to liberate!”

The allegations against the DSS have not been independently established, and the agency had not publicly responded to the accusations in the reports available.

Reports by SaharaReporters and other media outlets also indicated that members of Sowore’s entourage, including his brother, were attacked with machetes during the incident. Other people at the restaurant were reportedly injured as the confrontation caused panic among customers and staff.

The African Action Congress had earlier demanded urgent intervention from the Ekiti State Government, the Inspector-General of Police and the state Commissioner of Police to establish Sowore’s whereabouts and guarantee his safety.

In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Rex Elanu, the party called for the arrest and prosecution of those responsible for the attack.

The party also warned that it could organise a mass protest at the Ekiti State Government House if security agencies failed to act on its demands.

Sowore’s campaign organisation similarly called on the Nigeria Police Force, DSS, Independent National Electoral Commission and other security agencies to investigate the incident and ensure the safety of the candidate and his supporters.

The activist was in Ekiti State for campaign-related engagements ahead of the 2027 presidential election. He had also been expected to participate in the Ikogosi Marathon scheduled for Saturday, October 31.

His visit followed proceedings in his ongoing cyberbullying trial at the Federal High Court in Abuja. His defence counsel informed the court on Thursday that he was in Ekiti for campaign activities, prompting the adjournment of the case until November 3, 2026.

Sowore, a human rights activist, journalist and publisher of SaharaReporters, is seeking the presidency on the platform of the AAC in the 2027 general election.

The police investigation is expected to establish what happened at the restaurant, identify those involved and determine the circumstances surrounding the injuries sustained by Sowore and members of his entourage.