The police said Sowore was rescued by operatives who responded to an alert about the incident and subsequently taken to the Police Hospital in Ado-Ekiti, where he is receiving medical treatment for what the command described as a minor injury.
The clarification followed reports circulating on social media alleging that the activist and politician had been kidnapped by armed thugs in the state, with his whereabouts initially unknown.
A message posted on Sowore’s X account had raised the alarm, stating: “Armed thugs kidnapped Sowore. His current location is unknown.”
The post further alleged that Sowore and members of his team had been attacked by armed individuals allegedly sponsored by the government.
“We have been brutally attacked and injured by armed government-sponsored thugs in Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State. The @officialDSSNG provided the 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 statement read.
However, the Police Public Relations Officer of the command, Sunday Abutu, dismissed the kidnapping claim, explaining that preliminary information indicated that Sowore had an altercation with some individuals at a restaurant.
According to Abutu, the police received an alert about the situation on Friday and immediately deployed officers to the scene, where Sowore was rescued and taken to the hospital.
He said, “The attention of the Ekiti State Police Command has been drawn to a message circulating on social media alleging that Mr. Omoyele Sowore was kidnapped by armed thugs in Ado-Ekiti, with his whereabouts unknown.
“The command wishes to categorically clarify that Mr. Sowore was not kidnapped. Rather, preliminary information indicates that he had an altercation with some individuals at a restaurant in Ado Ekiti, following which the police were immediately alerted.
“Upon receiving the report, police operatives swiftly mobilised to the scene and successfully rescued him. He, however, sustained a minor injury and is currently receiving medical attention at the Police Hospital, Ado-Ekiti.”
Abutu added that the Commissioner of Police in the state, Michael Falade, had ordered a discreet investigation to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident and identify those involved.
“The Commissioner of Police, Michael Falade, has ordered a discreet investigation into the incident to establish the full circumstances surrounding the altercation, identify all individuals involved, and ensure that anyone found culpable is brought to justice,” he stated.
The command urged members of the public to remain calm, disregard reports of an alleged kidnapping and avoid circulating unverified information capable of causing panic or tension.
It also reaffirmed its commitment to protecting lives and property across the state, irrespective of political affiliation, status or background.
However, Sowore subsequently issued another statement on X, alleging that the individuals who attacked him and his team came from the Ekiti State Government House and had operational support from the Department of State Services (DSS).
“This is the level of infamy to which Nigeria has been subjected! Those who brutally attacked us in Ado-Ekiti today came from the Government House @ekitistategov. They are well known, and they were provided with tracking and operational support by the @OfficialDSSNG,” he alleged.
Sowore further claimed that DSS operatives had been following and harassing his team since their arrival in the state the previous day.
According to him, the operatives allegedly threatened the manager of a restaurant where the team had earlier eaten, warning him against allowing them to use his premises again.
He also alleged that the attack occurred shortly after he concluded an interview at MIDAS FM 90.5 in Ado-Ekiti.
The activist accused the DSS of supporting the attackers, an allegation that was not confirmed in the police statement.
The police investigation is expected to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident and determine the roles, if any, of those allegedly involved.
