Omoyele Sowore, presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), has reportedly been attacked by armed thugs inside a restaurant in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State.

Sowore disclosed the incident in a post on his official Facebook page on Friday, alleging that he and members of his entourage were attacked while inside the restaurant.

A subsequent message posted on the activist’s Facebook page claimed that he had been kidnapped by armed thugs, adding that his whereabouts were unknown.

The development has raised concerns about the safety of the former presidential candidate, particularly following reports that a police officer attached to him was disarmed during the incident.

Reacting to the attack, human rights lawyer and Sowore’s ally, Deji Adeyanju, said he received information about the incident from one of the AAC presidential candidate’s aides.

In a statement, Adeyanju expressed concern over reports that the police officer attached to Sowore was disarmed during the attack.

He said: “I have just been informed by one of the aides to Omoyele Sowore, presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), of his violent attack in Ekiti State.

“I am concerned by reports that the police officer attached to him was disarmed during the incident.

“I strongly condemn this brazen act of violence and political intimidation. There is absolutely no place for such lawlessness in a democracy.

“I call on the relevant security agencies to immediately investigate the incident, ensure Mr Sowore’s safety and bring all those responsible to justice.”

Adeyanju’s reaction came amid uncertainty over Sowore’s whereabouts following the alleged attack and reported abduction.

As of the time of filing this report, there was no independent confirmation of the alleged kidnapping or official statement from the police detailing the circumstances of the incident.