The controversy surrounding the October 30, 2026 assassination attempt against Omoyele Sowore and members of his team in Ado-Ekiti has taken another troubling turn, with the activist accusing the Nigeria Police Force of playing what he describes as dangerous games to frustrate a transparent investigation.
In a strongly worded statement, Sowore questioned the credibility of the police investigation, alleging conflicting accounts, deliberate delays and possible attempts to shield those responsible for the attack.
The latest development followed the receipt of an invitation letter delivered through DHL by the Ekiti State Police Command, dated November 4, 2026, asking him and other members of his team to cooperate with an investigation into what the police reportedly described as an "incident" during their visit to Ekiti State.
Sowore expressed outrage at the choice of words, recalling that the same police command had initially characterised the reported attack as an "altercation."
He questioned why an alleged armed assault involving injuries, attempted killings and the dispossession of his team members was repeatedly being reduced to seemingly harmless descriptions.
According to him, the language being employed by the police raises serious questions about the institution's willingness to investigate the matter objectively.
Following the October 30 incident, Sowore and his team reportedly returned to Abuja and instructed their lawyers, led by Barrister Tope Temokun, to petition the Inspector-General of Police, demanding an independent investigation.
The petition reportedly raised allegations of complicity and an attempted cover-up involving officers of the Ekiti State Police Command under Commissioner of Police Michael Falade. Sowore also claimed that they supplied the names of 12 individuals allegedly connected to the plot.
On November 3, 2026, the group reportedly staged a protest at the Nigeria Police Force Headquarters in Abuja, where an Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) met them at the entrance.
The AIG allegedly assured the protesters that a fresh investigative team had been dispatched from Force Headquarters and was already travelling through Kogi State to Ekiti to conduct a comprehensive investigation, including forensic examinations.
He reportedly requested one week to complete the assignment.
However, Sowore now claims that the assurance has not translated into the independent investigation promised.
He further alleged that, even before they left the police headquarters, some individuals were already celebrating the AIG's handling of the situation, describing him as an effective public relations officer.
For Sowore, this was another indication that managing public perception appeared to have taken precedence over establishing the truth.
The controversy reportedly deepened when information from the Inspector-General's office indicated that the case had been transferred to the Force Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (FCIID), Alagbon, Lagos, for an independent investigation.
Yet, according to Sowore, CP Michael Falade continued to act as though no such transfer had taken place.
He alleged that the Ekiti Commissioner of Police released some recovered electronic devices to members of his team in Ekiti and subsequently summoned their comrades to another meeting, where he reportedly appealed for calm and understanding.
More controversially, Sowore claimed that when his comrades asked whether Force Headquarters had taken over the investigation, the commissioner denied that such a takeover had occurred.
He further alleged that the commissioner asked them to assist the police in locating the homes of suspected attackers whose identities and alleged involvement had already been brought to the attention of investigators.
Sowore described the request as particularly disturbing, questioning why victims of an alleged assassination attempt should be expected to perform investigative duties that properly belong to the police.
He also claimed that Force Headquarters wanted the Ekiti Command to transfer to Abuja individuals previously arrested and arraigned in connection with the attack. However, he maintained that those arrested were not necessarily the principal perpetrators.
According to his account, CP Falade had requested that the Inspector-General wait until the suspects' next court appearance before proceeding.
Meanwhile, Sowore alleged that the principal suspects identified by his team remained at large. He also claimed to have received reports that some individuals allegedly connected to the attack travelled to Akure to participate in a political campaign for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
These allegations raise questions that the police leadership must urgently address.
Who is actually investigating the October 30 attack? Is it the Ekiti State Police Command, whose officers have been accused of possible complicity? Is it the special investigative team reportedly dispatched from Abuja? Or has the FCIID in Alagbon genuinely assumed responsibility for the case?
Why are there apparently conflicting accounts from different levels of the same police institution?
Where is the promised forensic investigation? What has happened to the recovered electronic devices and other evidence? And why have the principal suspects identified by the complainants not been transparently accounted for?
Sowore insists that he will not accept an investigation controlled by officers whose conduct is itself the subject of serious allegations.
His demands include an independent investigative team, a transparent inventory of recovered evidence, forensic examination of CCTV recordings and electronic devices, and a comprehensive investigation of everyone allegedly involved in planning, financing, facilitating or participating in the attack.
Ultimately, the Inspector-General of Police must clarify who is in charge of this investigation and demonstrate that nobody, regardless of political connections or official position, is above the law.
An alleged assassination attempt is not an ordinary disagreement to be dismissed with carefully chosen vocabulary.
If the police have nothing to hide, transparency should not be a problem.
For now, the question remains: WHO IS FOOLING WHOM?
#RevolutionNow #OmoyeleSowore #NigeriaPoliceForce #EkitiState #AdoEkiti #PoliceAccountability #JusticeForSowore
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