Police say Sowore was rescued, not kidnapped, after Ado-Ekiti restaurant fight
- Ekiti police said Sowore was rescued after an altercation at a restaurant in Ado-Ekiti, not kidnapped.
- Police said he had a minor injury and was treated at the Police Hospital in Ado-Ekiti.
- Sowore disputes the police account and says he was attacked.
Ekiti State Police have pushed back against social media reports that African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore was abducted in Ado-Ekiti on Friday, saying officers moved in after a fight at a restaurant and brought him to safety.
The command's spokesperson, SP Abutu Sunday, said in a statement that Sowore had a disagreement with some people at a restaurant in the Dallimore area of the state capital. Police were called, and operatives went to the scene and got him out, he said.
According to the police, Sowore was hurt slightly and was being treated at the Police Hospital in Ado-Ekiti.
The statement was issued to correct claims spreading online that armed thugs had seized the politician and taken him to an unknown place.
Two accounts of what happened
Sowore does not accept the police version. In his own account, he said he was attacked, not caught up in a quarrel.
That leaves Nigerians with two accounts of the same afternoon: the police say an altercation, the AAC candidate says an attack. Neither side has given details of who was involved.
The Commissioner of Police in Ekiti, Falade Adegoroye Michael, has ordered a quiet investigation to work out what happened, name everyone involved and make sure anyone found responsible faces justice, the command said.
The police asked residents to stay calm and to stop passing on unconfirmed messages that could cause panic. The command said it protects lives and property regardless of party, position or background.
Sowore was in Ekiti for the annual Ikogosi 17.5-kilometre marathon, which starts in Ilawe-Ekiti and ends in Ikogosi-Ekiti in Ekiti West Local Government Area on Saturday, October 31, 2026. He also ran the race last year.
For ordinary Nigerians, the episode is a reminder of how quickly unverified claims travel on WhatsApp and social media, and how hard it can be to tell a quarrel from a political attack when accounts differ.
What happens next
The police investigation is the main thread to watch. Its findings should show who was at the restaurant, what started the fight and whether anyone will face charges.
