The Ekiti State Police Command has arrested 11 suspects in connection with the attack on African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore and other persons at a restaurant in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital.

The police said operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), acting on a tip-off, raided the suspects’ hideouts in the Atikankan area of the town at about 10pm on Friday, October 30, 2026.

The command disclosed this in a statement issued on Saturday by its Public Relations Officer, Abutu Sunday.

The statement read, “The Ekiti State Police Command has arrested eleven (11) suspects in connection with the alleged attack on Mr Omoyele Sowore, an African Action Congress (AAC) presidential aspirant, and other persons at Tawakalitu Restaurant, Dalimore Area of Ado-Ekiti.”

It added, “Operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), based on a credible tip-off, swooped on the hideouts of the suspects at Atikankan Area of Ado-Ekiti at about 10:00 p.m. on Friday, October 30, 2026, where they were arrested.”

The suspects were identified as 32-year-old Joseph Tayo, 41-year-old Olatunji Abayomi, 22-year-old Isaac Amba, 18-year-old Kehinde Ajigbana, 18-year-old Tosin David, 18-year-old Solomon Iyanu, 21-year-old Ogunsola Ayomide, 22-year-old Ojo Ayodeji, 32-year-old Kayode Dada, 28-year-old Segun Olatunji and 53-year-old Salami Emmanuel.

Items reportedly recovered from them included two walkie-talkies, substances suspected to be Indian hemp and Colorado, two Indian hemp crushers, a pack of Rizla, seven ATM cards and 13 mobile phones.

Other items recovered were two vehicle keys, a flash drive, a 5G MTN Wi-Fi device, identity cards, eight international passports, three complimentary cards, two suspected criminal charms, a gas lighter and N250.

The police said investigations were ongoing to establish the individual roles of the suspects, determine their possible connections with the attack and identify other persons involved.

“The suspects are in police custody, while investigations are ongoing to establish their individual roles, determine their possible connections with the attack and identify other persons involved,” the statement added.

The Commissioner of Police, Falade Michael, assured residents that everyone found culpable would be brought to justice.

According to the statement, the commissioner said the command “will leave no stone unturned in ensuring that all those found culpable are brought to justice.”

The police also reiterated their commitment to protecting lives and property and maintaining peace and security across the state, irrespective of political affiliations.

The command further confirmed that Sowore and the other victims had received medical attention and been discharged from the hospital.

“Meanwhile, the command wishes to reconfirm that all the victims, including Mr Sowore, have received medical attention, been treated and discharged from the hospital,” the statement read.

The arrests followed a disagreement between Sowore and the Ekiti State Police Command over the circumstances surrounding the attack, with both sides giving different accounts of what happened at the restaurant.

The police had initially described the incident as an altercation involving Sowore and some individuals at Tawakalitu Restaurant, saying the AAC presidential aspirant was injured and taken to hospital for treatment.

Meanwhile, Sowore, reacting to the arrests, rejected the police account, insisting that the incident was not an altercation but a coordinated attack by armed men.

He demanded that the masterminds and sponsors of the attack be identified and brought to justice, insisting that the incident was a coordinated assault and not an ordinary altercation.

Sowore, in a post on X on Saturday, said the arrests confirmed that the incident was a deliberate attack rather than a mere altercation, further alleging that some of the attackers were members of the City Boys group and called for a probe into possible connections between the incident and officials of the Ekiti State Government.

The AAC presidential aspirant also urged the state Commissioner of Police, Falade Adegoroye Michael, and the Department of State Services (DSS) to secure and make available CCTV footage from the scene to aid the identification of those involved in the attack.

“Arresting 11 suspects is not enough if those who planned, financed, coordinated and facilitated the attack remain untouched,” he wrote.

He also demanded an explanation from the police over their initial description of the incident as an altercation.