Human rights activist Omoyele Sowore, the African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate for the 2027 election, has recounted how he escaped an assassination attempt in Ekiti State. The incident occurred on a day when Sowore and his entourage had stopped at a restaurant to eat after a radio interview. He said he had finished eating and briefly left the table to wash his hands when members of his entourage alerted him that gunshots had been heard outside.
Sowore alleged that about 50 men armed with cutlasses and axes pursued him and threatened to kill anyone suspected of harbouring him. He fled with Pastor Sam and another member of his team identified as Larry. A member of his group, who is a security operative carrying a pistol, helped monitor the movements of the armed men and signal when it was safe to move. Sowore said he eventually asked Larry to help him get behind a nearby wall, a decision he described as crucial to his escape.
Sowore said he first entered a residential compound with several rooms, where the occupants were surprised to see him running inside. He explained that armed men were pursuing him and warned that anyone found helping him could be attacked. An elderly man in the compound reportedly advised him against moving into another compound because the attackers could see him. However, fearing that the men would search the rooms, Sowore moved into a neighbouring compound.
In the neighbouring compound, Sowore found an elderly woman cooking in her kitchen. He said the woman asked what was wrong, and he explained that armed men were after him. The woman quietly closed the kitchen door and allowed him to remain hidden without informing other occupants of the house. Sowore praised her for protecting him, saying she even went outside briefly to look for the attackers without revealing that he was inside.
Sowore said he remained in hiding for approximately 45 minutes while the attackers searched nearby houses and allegedly threatened to kill anyone found harbouring him. He used his smartwatch to contact people who could assist him, eventually reaching an individual identified as Philip Otoko. Sowore said he sent Otoko a message saying he was safe but surrounded.
Sowore disputed the police account that officers rescued him, insisting that he had independently contacted people and sent his location before leaving the hiding place. He said he eventually shared his location with people who could help and contacted a member of his group who was communicating with the local police. Sowore subsequently walked out, met the officers and was taken with other members of his entourage to a hospital.
Describing the incident, Sowore said he and members of his entourage were fortunate to have survived what he called an assassination attempt. The incident was discussed during the Sowore Global Security Meeting, a global emergency meeting held via Zoom and monitored by SaharaReporters. Sowore's account of the incident highlights the risks faced by human rights activists in Nigeria.
Key points
- Omoyele Sowore, the AAC presidential candidate, recounted how he hid in an elderly woman's kitchen for 45 minutes to escape an assassination attempt in Ekiti State.
- Sowore alleged that about 50 men armed with cutlasses and axes pursued him and threatened to kill anyone suspected of harbouring him.
- Sowore disputed the police account that officers rescued him, saying he independently contacted people and sent his location before leaving the hiding place.
