A video has emerged showing a man allegedly affiliated with the City Boy Movement (CBM) wielding a machete during an attack on African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore and members of his team in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, on October 30, 2026. The footage, shared online by Sowore, shows the man, dressed in a green T-shirt and white cap, brandishing a machete and allegedly attacking Sowore and his associates. The City Boy Movement is a Nigerian youth-driven civic, political advocacy, and social welfare organisation founded in 2022 to support the political rise and presidency of Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The attack occurred at Tawakalitu Restaurant in Ado-Ekiti, where Sowore and his team were assaulted by a group of men. Sowore has called for an independent investigation into the incident and the removal of the Ekiti State Commissioner of Police and other officers he accused of mishandling the case. He described the emergence of the video as a "major breakthrough," saying it revealed the faces of individuals allegedly involved in the attack. The video also shows other men attacking people at the scene, and an officer on the right-hand side of the frame being stripped by other men amid the chaos.
Sowore has raised concerns over the disappearance of CCTV recordings from Tawakalitu Restaurant, where the attack occurred. According to him, the restaurant's CCTV equipment was removed after police officers and operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) reportedly took possession of it and transported it to the Government House. The equipment was returned to the restaurant on Sunday evening without the recordings that could have captured the incident. Sowore described the development as suspicious and questioned why footage from the premises was no longer available following the reported intervention of security operatives.
Sowore contacted the Ekiti State Commissioner of Police, Michael Falade; the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Ado-Ekiti Central Police Station, Mustapha Mohammed; and the commander of the state's Rapid Response Squad (RRS) on Sunday to demand updates on the investigation. However, the officers claimed there was "no complainant" because Sowore had not submitted a written statement, despite police rescuing the victims, taking them to hospital, arresting suspects, and recovering weapons, stolen phones, and other devices. Sowore questioned the officers about mobile phones stolen during the attack and electronically traced to the Governor's Lodge, as well as the missing CCTV recordings.
The officers denied knowledge of the matters raised by Sowore before abruptly ending the conversation. The activist also claimed that the management of Tawakalitu Restaurant confirmed that a DPO had returned the CCTV equipment but that the recordings had been wiped. The management refused to identify the officer responsible for returning the equipment. Sowore described the development as an indication of a coordinated cover-up by the police hierarchy in Ekiti State.
The newly recovered video provides crucial leads in identifying individuals involved in the attack. Their identities and roles need a credible independent body to investigate, and Sowore has called for the removal of the CP and other officers involved in the cover-up. The City Boy Movement has a hierarchical structure, with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu serving as the Grand Patron, his son Seyi Tinubu as the National Patron, Shoga Francis Oluwatosin as the Director-General, and Hon. Favour Abayomi as the National Coordinator.
The incident has raised concerns about the security situation in Ekiti State and the role of some government officials in the attack. The video has provided a significant lead in the investigation, and it is expected that the relevant authorities will take necessary actions to bring those involved to justice. Key points:
Key points
- A video shows a man allegedly affiliated with the City Boy Movement wielding a machete during an attack on Omoyele Sowore and his team.
- Sowore has called for an independent investigation into the incident and the removal of the Ekiti State Commissioner of Police and other officers involved.
- The management of Tawakalitu Restaurant confirmed that a DPO had returned the CCTV equipment but that the recordings had been wiped.
