The Ekiti State Police Command has confirmed that the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, Omoyele Sowore, sustained injuries during an incident at a restaurant in Ado-Ekiti on Friday, October 30, 2026.
The command said Sowore was rescued by police operatives and taken to the Police Hospital in Ado-Ekiti, where he was receiving medical attention for injuries described as minor.
The development followed reports circulating on social media that the activist and former presidential candidate had been kidnapped by armed men, with his whereabouts unknown.
In a statement, the Police Public Relations Officer, Sunday Abutu, said preliminary information indicated that Sowore had an altercation with some individuals at a restaurant in the state capital, prompting a distress alert to the police.
Abutu said officers immediately mobilised to the scene and rescued him.
He, however, dismissed reports that Sowore had been kidnapped, insisting that the politician was receiving treatment at the Police Hospital.
The police spokesperson said the Commissioner of Police, Michael Falade, had ordered a discreet investigation into the incident to establish what happened, identify those involved and ensure that anyone found culpable was brought to justice.
The command also appealed to members of the public to remain calm and refrain from circulating unverified information capable of causing unnecessary panic and tension.
However, Sowore disputed the police account of the incident, insisting that he and his associates were attacked rather than involved in an altercation.
In a post on his X account, he accused the police of downplaying the severity of the incident despite the commissioner’s alleged visit to the scene and his observation of the injuries sustained by those involved.
“There was no altercation! We were attacked!” Sowore declared.
He further alleged that the police command had trivialised the incident by describing the injuries as minor.
The activist also claimed that the Department of State Services provided the attackers with their exact location, an allegation that has yet to be independently established.
