Presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, has accused the Department of State Services (DSS) of helping suspected attackers locate him during an assault in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State.
Sowore was injured in the incident and is currently receiving medical treatment at the Police Hospital in Ado-Ekiti.
The activist’s allegation came after a message posted on his official X account announced that he had been kidnapped by armed thugs, raising fears over his whereabouts.
The post claimed that Sowore and members of his team were brutally attacked by government-sponsored assailants, alleging that the DSS provided the attackers with their exact location.
“We have been brutally attacked and injured by armed government-sponsored thugs in Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State,” the post stated.
It further accused the secret police of facilitating the attack, declaring that the incident would not deter the group from its political activities.
However, the Ekiti State Police Command dismissed the kidnapping claim, confirming that Sowore had been rescued and taken to hospital.
Police spokesperson, Sunday Abutu, said officers received an alert that the AAC presidential candidate was having an altercation with some individuals at a restaurant in Ado-Ekiti on Friday.
He said operatives immediately moved to the scene and rescued Sowore, who sustained what the police described as a minor injury.
But Sowore rejected the police description of the incident as an altercation, insisting that he and his associates were attacked.
In a reaction on X, he declared: “There was no altercation! We were attacked!”
He also accused the police of downplaying the incident, claiming that the Commissioner of Police personally visited the scene and saw the injuries sustained by members of his team.
The Commissioner of Police, Michael Falade, has ordered a discreet investigation to establish what happened, identify those involved and ensure that anyone found culpable is brought to justice.
Abutu urged members of the public to disregard reports that Sowore had been kidnapped, warning against the circulation of unverified information capable of creating panic.
The activist was in Ekiti State ahead of the 2026 Ikogosi Marathon scheduled for Saturday, October 31. The 17.5-kilometre race is expected to begin at Ilawe-Ekiti and end at the Ikogosi Warm Springs Resort.
Sowore’s allegation against the DSS and the circumstances surrounding the attack are expected to form part of the police investigation.
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