Sowore Attack: Ekiti thuggery now regular occurrence since murder of Daramola, others – Falana.

Human rights lawyer Femi Falana, SAN, has urged the Ekiti State Police Command to identify and prosecute the armed assailants responsible for the attack on African Action Congress presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore in Ado-Ekiti last week.

In a statement, Falana emphasized that the attackers are known to authorities and should be swiftly arraigned in the Magistrate Court in Ado-Ekiti. He referenced previous violent incidents in the state, including the killings of Dr. Ayo Daramola, Tunde Omojola, and Kehinde Fasuba by a notorious group linked to political disputes. He expressed concern over the threat the gang poses to other local figures.

Falana noted that while suspects in those killings were arrested and charged with murder in the Ekiti State High Court, political influences compromised the case, which he argues has contributed to a climate of thuggery and unlawful killings in the area.

He pointed to a recent incident on September 14, 2026, in which former Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria chairman Joseph Rotimi Olabiowonu—known as “Metilo”—and accomplice Opeyemi Adedoyin attacked Sunday Ogunsakin in Afao-Ekiti over a land dispute, leading to Ogunsakin’s death from severe head injuries inflicted during the attack.

According to Falana, both suspects were taken into custody and investigated by the State Police Command, led by Commissioner Michael Falade. They were subsequently arraigned in a magistrate’s court, where, despite external pressures, the magistrate ordered their detention in a correctional facility pending legal guidance from the Attorney-General.

Falana praised the Ekiti State Government for its condemnation of the attack on Sowore and its calls for a thorough investigation. He urged the Ministry of Justice to assume control of the Olabiowonu and Adedoyin case, advocating for charges of abduction, torture, and murder to be brought before the High Court.

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