The presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, Omoyele Sowore, has faulted the Ekiti State Police Command for describing the attack on him and his associates in Ado-Ekiti as an altercation.
Sowore, who sustained injuries during the incident, accused the command of downplaying the severity of the violence despite the visit of the state Commissioner of Police, Falade Michael, to the scene.
In a post on his X handle on Friday, Sowore insisted that he and his associates were attacked, rejecting the police account that he sustained a minor injury during an altercation with some individuals at a restaurant.
“There was no altercation! We were attacked!” he declared.
He alleged that the police commissioner personally visited the scene and saw the injuries sustained by those involved but that the command subsequently issued a statement that trivialised the incident.
“The Commissioner saw the injuries, witnessed the aftermath of the violence, and was fully aware of the seriousness of what happened. Yet his command has chosen to trivialise the attack, even describing the injuries as ‘minor’,” he wrote.
Sowore also said allegations had emerged suggesting that the commissioner was involved in the incident, describing the development as “despicable”.
He shared a video showing the commissioner leaving an emergency room after observing the injuries sustained by those affected.
The development followed an earlier statement by the Ekiti State Police Command confirming that Sowore was receiving treatment at the Police Hospital in Ado-Ekiti after sustaining injuries during an incident at a restaurant.
The command had dismissed reports that the AAC presidential candidate was kidnapped by armed thugs, saying police operatives were alerted to the incident and moved to rescue him.
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Sunday Abutu, said preliminary information indicated that Sowore had an altercation with some individuals at the restaurant before the police intervened.
Abutu said the commissioner had ordered a discreet investigation to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident, identify those involved and ensure that anyone found culpable was brought to justice.
The command also urged members of the public to disregard reports of an alleged kidnapping and avoid circulating unverified information capable of causing panic.
However, Sowore’s latest statement challenges the police account of the incident, insisting that what happened was a violent attack rather than an altercation.
