Former presidential candidate and activist, Omoyele Sowore, has renewed his allegations against the Ekiti State Government over the attack on him and members of his team in Ado-Ekiti, demanding explanations from Governor Biodun Oyebanji over an alleged security warning issued hours before the incident.
In a statement responding to the state government’s October 31 press release, Sowore alleged that the Governor’s Chief Security Officer, CSP Ayodele Akinlua, called one of his associates, Moyinoluwa Olowoyo, popularly known as Gigabytes, at about 7:30 a.m. on October 30 and warned that his safety could not be guaranteed if he proceeded with political activities in the state.
He claimed that more than 100 armed men later attacked him and his team, leaving some members injured and robbed. Sowore questioned why the governor’s security official allegedly issued such a warning hours before the incident and demanded to know who authorised the call and what the governor knew about the threat.
The activist also accused the state government of failing to address his allegation that one Sola Adenijo, popularly known as Solar, whom he identified as the alleged leader of the attackers, had links with the government. He challenged the government to disclose whether Adenijo had received payments, contracts, appointments or other financial benefits from the state.
Sowore further demanded the preservation and public release of CCTV footage from the restaurant and surrounding premises, alleging that security operatives had attempted to remove recordings of the incident. He insisted that the footage could help establish what happened and challenged the government to explain who currently has custody of the recordings.
He also questioned the conduct of security agencies and the decision by the Ikogosi Marathon organisers to exclude him from the race, alleging that the developments pointed to official connivance. He called for an independent and transparent investigation into the roles of the alleged attackers, their possible sponsors and any security personnel who may have been involved.
Sowore’s latest statement comes after the Ekiti State Government denied involvement in the incident and called for a police investigation. The police had earlier described the incident as an altercation and announced the arrest of suspects, while investigations into the matter were said to be ongoing.
