By Opeyemi Adelakun
A lawyer to African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore has asked the Inspector-General of Police to take over the investigation into an attack on the activist and members of his team in Ado-Ekiti.
In a letter dated November 2, 2026, Tope Temokun Chambers called for an independent team from outside the Ekiti State Police Command to investigate the incident at Tawakalitu Restaurant in the Dalimore area on October 30.
The firm said allegations that had emerged since the incident made it necessary for the investigation to be conducted independently of the state command.
Sowore alleges that the attackers came from Ekiti State Government House and received tracking and operational assistance from Department of State Services operatives. The letter said the claims should be investigated, including the identities of anyone who may have sponsored or assisted the attack.
The lawyer also cited a video released by Sowore, which he says shows people involved in the incident. The firm asked investigators to secure and authenticate the original recording, identify those shown and compare them with suspects already arrested.
A central concern in the letter is an allegation that police officers and DSS operatives removed the restaurant’s CCTV equipment, took it to Government House and later returned it without the recordings. The firm said the restaurant’s management had allegedly confirmed that the equipment was returned with its recordings erased.
It asked the police to secure the equipment for forensic examination, seek to recover deleted footage and identify any available backups. The letter also called for an inquiry into who removed and handled the equipment, and under whose authority.
The firm said Sowore had reported that stolen devices belonging to members of his team were tracked to locations near the Governor’s Office and Fajuyi Park. It also cited his subsequent claim that a stolen phone had been traced to the Governor’s Lodge.
The letter said those claims should be checked against original tracking records and other evidence, adding that proximity to government premises should not be treated as proof of involvement or dismissed without investigation.
It also called for the Ekiti State Government to preserve any relevant surveillance footage, security records and visitor records.
The lawyers said the state police command’s initial description of the incident as an altercation, and its characterisation of Sowore’s injury as minor, should be examined against victims’ accounts, medical records and available recordings.
The letter further said the command’s reference to Sowore’s failure to notify it of his arrival and movements should be reviewed alongside earlier correspondence in which he had requested police protection.
The firm acknowledged the command’s announcement that 11 suspects had been arrested and that 13 mobile phones and two walkie-talkies were recovered. It urged investigators to establish each suspect’s connection to the attack and determine whether any recovered property belonged to the victims.
It also requested an inquiry into Sowore’s allegation that officers told him there was no complainant because he had not submitted a written statement.
Among its demands, the firm asked the IGP to transfer the investigation file, statements, exhibits and operational records to an independent team; investigate alleged links between the attackers and government or security personnel; and review the conduct of officers accused of interfering with evidence.
It also sought protection for Sowore, other victims and witnesses, and a review of security arrangements for the activist’s future movements and public engagements.
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