Sowore narrates attack in Ekiti, accuses govt, police commissioner of complicity
By Ishaya Ibrahim
Presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) Omoyele Sowore has accused the Ekiti State Commissioner of police of complicity in the attack on him.
TheNiche had earlier reported that Sowore was attacked by unknown persons who invaded a restaurant where he and his team had gone to eat.
During an interview on Channels Television, Sowore said the attackers were armed with guns and other weapons, adding that the individual who led the attack was well known in the area and allegedly had the backing of powerful political interests.
He explained that the attackers disarmed the police officers who were providing security for him before launching the attack.
“I sustained injuries to my back and leg during the incident. Remember that I was there to meet our members who were also participating in the marathon,” Sowore said.
Sowore alleged that the DSS had earlier scared organisers of the marathon against allowing him to participate, citing claims that he fled from a court case in Abuja.
According to Sowore, what shocked him was the statement issued by the Commissioner of Police after the incident.
“When he came to the police clinic, where we were receiving treatment, he saw us being attended to by doctors. He did not even greet me or ask what had happened. He simply walked around and left.
“The next thing I heard was that he had issued a statement describing the incident as an altercation. What altercation? We did not know these people. They simply appeared from nowhere and started shooting into the air.
“You could see the damage they caused, including the deflated tyres.
“We were treated at the police clinic in the command by police doctors. I was shocked by the commissioner’s conduct and the statement he subsequently released.
“I suspected that the Commissioner of Police might have been involved in the attack. I therefore contacted the police authorities in Abuja to inform them that I had no confidence in the commissioner and was concerned about his conduct.
“We were also told that our movements had been tracked. The attackers reportedly came from the Government House. They took our phones, cameras, bags, wristwatches and other personal belongings.
“We eventually tracked some of our belongings to a location where they had been dumped. They had taken virtually everything we had with us.”
