Human rights activist and African Action Congress (AAC) presidential aspirant, Omoyele Sowore, has accused the Ekiti State Police Command of shielding the alleged masterminds behind the attack on him and members of his entourage in Ado-Ekiti, despite the arrest of 11 suspects.
Sowore called for the immediate arrest of two individuals, Adenijo Olusola, popularly known as Solar, and Omotuyi Temitope, also known as Tope Jinadu Small, whom he alleged were involved in planning and executing the October 30 attack.
He also demanded the preservation and public release of CCTV recordings from the scene, insisting that the police investigation should extend beyond those already arrested to include individuals suspected of financing, coordinating and providing support for the attack.
The demand followed Saturday’s announcement by the Ekiti State Police Command that operatives of the Rapid Response Squad had arrested 11 suspects during a raid on their hideouts in the Atikankan area of Ado-Ekiti at about 10pm on Friday, following a tip-off.
The arrested persons were identified as Joseph Tayo, Olatunji Abayomi, Isaac Amba, Kehinde Ajigbana, Tosin David, Solomon Iyanu, Ogunsola Ayomide, Ojo Ayodeji, Kayode Dada, Segun Olatunji and Salami Emmanuel.
Items reportedly recovered from the suspects included two walkie-talkies, 13 mobile phones, seven ATM cards, eight international passports, substances suspected to be Indian hemp and Colorado, and two suspected criminal charms.
Reacting to the arrests, Sowore described the police announcement as confirmation that the incident was a violent attack, contrary to the command’s initial description of it as an altercation.
He maintained that the incident was a coordinated assault that could have resulted in serious casualties.
However, the activist questioned why those he identified as the alleged coordinators had not been arrested alongside the 11 suspects.
He specifically mentioned Solar and CSP Ayodele Akinlua, identified as the Chief Security Officer to Governor Biodun Oyebanji, alleging that they were involved in coordinating the operation from the Government House.
Sowore also called on the Ekiti State Commissioner of Police, Falade Adegoroye Michael, and the Department of State Services (DSS) to secure and release relevant CCTV recordings to assist in identifying those involved.
He argued that the arrest of the 11 suspects would not be sufficient if individuals allegedly responsible for organising and financing the attack were not investigated.
The activist further questioned the police command’s initial handling of the incident, demanding an explanation for its earlier description as an altercation despite reports of injuries sustained by members of his team.
Sowore’s demand for the arrest of Solar and Tope Jinadu followed earlier reports by SaharaReporters, which quoted eyewitnesses as identifying the two men as alleged participants in the attack.
According to the accounts, the incident occurred shortly after Sowore concluded an interview at MIDAS FM 90.5 in Ado-Ekiti on Friday.
One of the sources identified Solar, whose full name was given as Adenijo Olusola, as the alleged leader of the group and claimed he was an appointee of the Oyebanji administration.
The source also alleged that Solar was associated with the Supreme Eiye Confraternity in Ekiti State and had links to political activities in the state.
Another source described him as a longstanding political enforcer for the All Progressives Congress (APC), further claiming that he could identify other individuals involved in the attack.
However, these allegations have not been independently established, and the individuals mentioned should be regarded as suspects unless proven otherwise.
Available reports also indicate that Solar was previously among seven defendants prosecuted in connection with the September 2014 murder of former Ekiti State chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, Chief Omolafe Aderiye.
In January 2018, the Ekiti State High Court, presided over by Justice Adekanye Lekan Ogunmoye, discharged and acquitted all seven defendants after finding that the prosecution had failed to establish sufficient evidence against them.
Solar was also reportedly arrested and charged alongside other individuals following the March 2021 violence during the Ekiti East Constituency 1 by-election in Omuo-Ekiti. The charges included conspiracy, murder and attempted murder.
However, no final conviction against him in that case has been established from the records referenced in the reports.
Another individual named by eyewitnesses was Omotuyi Temitope, popularly known as Tope Jinadu Small, who was accused of participating in the attack and taking personal belongings belonging to some victims.
The eyewitnesses further alleged that he had political and government connections in Ekiti State. These claims have not been independently verified.
Police records, however, previously linked Tope Small to the 2012 jailbreak at the Ado-Ekiti Correctional Centre.
In June 2024, the then Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Sunday Abutu, disclosed that Tope Small and four others had been arrested in 2012 over allegations of conspiracy and armed robbery before being remanded at the correctional facility.
According to the police account, Tope Small and another inmate, Jimoh Sadiku, allegedly worked with accomplices outside the facility to breach the prison gate, resulting in the escape of 220 inmates.
Abutu further stated that the suspect subsequently travelled to the United Arab Emirates, where he was arrested in connection with a murder case, imprisoned for six years and later returned to Nigeria.
The police announced his re-arrest on June 13, 2024, following an operation at Alex Grace Hotel in Ado-Ekiti.
The latest development comes amid Sowore’s repeated allegations that individuals connected to the Ekiti State Government House and operatives of the DSS were involved in the attack.
In an earlier statement, the activist alleged that the attackers came from the Government House and received tracking and operational assistance from DSS personnel.
He also claimed that security operatives had monitored and harassed him and members of his team since their arrival in the state, including allegedly warning a restaurant manager against allowing them to use the premises.
Sowore maintained that the assault occurred shortly after his radio interview and accused the security agencies of failing to prevent the incident.
The Ekiti State Police Command had initially described the incident as an altercation involving the activist and some individuals at Tawakalitu Restaurant, confirming that Sowore sustained injuries and was taken to hospital.
However, following public criticism, the command announced the arrest of 11 suspects and confirmed that all the victims, including Sowore, had received medical attention and were discharged.
The police have not, in the information provided, announced any arrests involving the additional individuals named by Sowore.
Investigations into the incident remain ongoing, with questions surrounding the alleged organisers, the circumstances of the attack and the possible involvement of other persons yet to be conclusively addressed.