Nigerians have called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to immediately sack his Senior Special Assistant on Student Engagement, Sunday Asefon Dayo, following the circulation of a disturbing video allegedly showing him assaulting his 10-year-old daughter, Michelle Shileola Asefon.
They are also demanding that the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, and the Ekiti State Police Command immediately arrest and prosecute the presidential aide over allegations of child abuse and domestic violence.
The demands followed the emergence of a video showing the minor dressed in a blue school polo shirt, kneeling on a tiled floor, crying uncontrollably and repeatedly begging for mercy while allegedly being assaulted.
The video, which was first published by Sahara TV, has generated widespread reactions, with Nigerians expressing outrage and calling for immediate intervention by the relevant authorities to protect the child.
The development comes barely a day after allegations emerged linking Asefon to a violent attack on African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, and members of his team in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State.
Asefon had earlier been mentioned by sources in connection with an alleged plot to assassinate Sowore during the October 30, 2026, attack at Tawakalitu Restaurant in the Dalimore area of Ado-Ekiti.
According to a police petition dated November 2, 2026, submitted to the Ekiti State Commissioner of Police by A. J. Oguntuase & Co. on behalf of Asefon’s estranged wife, Mrs Damilola Tunmise Asefon, and their 10-year-old daughter, the presidential aide allegedly subjected the child to a severe physical assault on Saturday, October 31, barely 24 hours after the attack on Sowore.
The petition alleged that Asefon stormed the family residence in the Odo-Ado area of Ado-Ekiti and physically assaulted the minor, leaving her with injuries across her body and bleeding from her ears and head.
Following the incident, the child’s mother reportedly rushed her to the Odo-Ado Police Division before taking her to the Police Clinic in Ado-Ekiti for emergency medical attention.
Interestingly, the child reportedly received treatment at the same police clinic where Sowore and members of his team were attended to following the October 30 attack.
The petition further accused Asefon of a history of domestic violence against his estranged wife and children, alleging that previous incidents of assault had resulted in serious injuries requiring hospitalisation.
Sources disclosed that Asefon had travelled to Ekiti State to attend the launch of a political campaign group supporting President Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid, popularly known as the City Boys.
The sources further alleged that while in Ado-Ekiti, the presidential aide participated in planning the violent attack against Sowore and members of his team.
They also identified Ayodeji Akintade Ifeoluwa, popularly known as Akin, who reportedly served as Asefon’s Chief Security Officer during his tenure as President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), as one of the individuals captured in video footage of the attack on Sowore.
Akin was reportedly seen wielding a machete and attacking a member of Sowore’s security team during the incident.
In the police petition, the family’s lawyer requested urgent intervention, investigation and prosecution, warning that the lives and safety of the complainants remained under threat.
However, sources also accused officers attached to the Ekiti State Criminal Investigation Department (State CID) of attempting to suppress the complaint concerning the alleged assault on the child.
According to the sources, despite the seriousness of the allegations, the injuries reportedly sustained by the minor and the formal petition submitted to the police, the authorities initially failed to take decisive action.
They claimed that when the family’s lawyer intensified pressure on the police to investigate and arrest Asefon, officers reportedly responded that the presidential aide had already left Ekiti State for an official assignment in Abuja.
A police source also reportedly provided video footage showing the 10-year-old girl bleeding from her ear following the alleged assault.
As of Tuesday morning, November 3, the Ekiti State Police Command had yet to publicly respond to the allegations.
When contacted for comments, the state’s Police Public Relations Officer, SP Sunday Abutu, reportedly did not answer calls placed to his telephone line and had not responded to a text message sent to him as of the time of filing the report.
The Ekiti State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, which is responsible for protecting children’s rights under the domesticated Child Rights Act, has also yet to publicly address the allegations.
Similarly, the Office of the First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, who heads the Renewed Hope Initiative for women and children, had not issued a public statement on the matter.
The Office of the First Lady of Ekiti State, Dr Olayemi Oyebanji, also remained silent despite her involvement in advocacy programmes for women and children through the Widows and Orphans Hope (WAOH) Project.
Some Nigerians have consequently called on the Ekiti State First Lady to intervene, arguing that the alleged assault occurred in her state and that urgent steps should be taken to ensure the child’s safety and protection from further abuse.
The allegations have also raised questions about the enforcement of existing laws protecting children from physical and emotional abuse.
Section 11 of the Child Rights Act 2003, as domesticated in Ekiti State, provides that every child is entitled to respect for the dignity of their person and must not be subjected to physical, mental or emotional injury, abuse, neglect or maltreatment, including sexual abuse, torture or degrading treatment.
Similarly, Section 2 of the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act 2015 criminalises physical violence resulting in harm, pain or injury and provides for a punishment of up to three years’ imprisonment, a fine or both.
Meanwhile, Asefon has issued a statement through a public notice titled “RE: RECENT ATTACKS ON OMOYELE SOWORE” in response to the allegations involving him and the attack on the AAC presidential candidate.
However, his statement focused primarily on Sowore’s allegations and did not directly address the video purportedly showing him assaulting his 10-year-old daughter or the police petition submitted by his estranged wife.
In the statement, Asefon accused Sowore of dragging his name and family into political disagreements and personal attacks, insisting that his family had no involvement in the issues surrounding the incident in Ekiti State.
He said, “My attention has been drawn to recent attacks on Omoyele Sowore in which he has chosen to drag my name and family into his ongoing activities in Ekiti State. However, dragging my family into political disagreements or personal attacks is entirely unacceptable. My family has no involvement in these issues and should not be subjected to unnecessary public scrutiny or controversy.”
However, his statement did not explain or deny the allegations surrounding the viral video of his daughter kneeling and begging for mercy, nor did it address the petition alleging that the child sustained injuries and bled from her ears and head.
The controversy has continued to generate reactions, with Nigerians demanding that the Presidency and the police authorities take immediate action, investigate the allegations and ensure that the 10-year-old girl receives adequate protection.