The Ekiti State Police Command has issued a firm rebuttal to claims that the arrest and prosecution of Ayodele Babatola, the African Democratic Congress candidate for Ado Constituency 1 in the Ekiti State House of Assembly, was orchestrated for political reasons, insisting the action was grounded entirely in a criminal complaint properly received and thoroughly investigated. 

The clarification came after a wave of protests by ADC members and a barrage of social media allegations accusing the command of colluding with the Ekiti State government to silence an opposition candidate ahead of the 2027 general elections.

According to the command’s spokesperson, Superintendent of Police Sunday Abutu, the case originated in the early hours of May 25, 2026, at approximately 1:00am, when a 30-year-old woman identified as Bukola Oluwaseun walked into the Oke-Ila Divisional Police Headquarters in Ado Ekiti to report that Babatola had forcibly had carnal knowledge of her at KIIBAT Hotel along Petim Estate, in the Adebayo area of the state capital, on the night of May 24, 2026. Abutu stated that officers on duty at the time observed visible injuries on the complainant consistent with her account.

The woman told investigators she had first met Babatola on social media approximately three months earlier while he was still living abroad, and that their relationship had developed through online communication before they agreed to meet physically after his return to Nigeria.

The spokesperson said Babatola was subsequently invited for questioning and a preliminary investigation was conducted before the case was formally transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for a more thorough examination. During the investigation, Babatola reportedly told investigators that he was provoked after the complainant demanded payment before consenting to sexual intercourse, though he denied penetration.

He acknowledged, however, that he left the woman at the hotel and proceeded to block all her contact channels. Police said a medical examination conducted on the victim confirmed that penetration had occurred. Following the conclusion of the investigation, Babatola was charged to court and a magistrate ordered his remand at the Correctional Service Centre in Ado Ekiti.

The ADC had reacted with outrage to the development, staging a protest in Ado Ekiti with members carrying placards bearing inscriptions such as “Free Ayo, Free Babatola” and “He is Not a Rapist.” Former Ekiti State House of Assembly Speaker and ADC chieftain Olugboyega Aribisogan, who addressed journalists at the protest, alleged that Babatola was arrested without a valid warrant by operatives of the Rapid Response Squad, describing the action as a gross violation of the Nigerian Constitution and an attempt to weaponise the police against the opposition ahead of 2027.

The party also called on the Inspector-General of Police, the Chief Judge of Ekiti State, the National Human Rights Commission, and the National Judicial Council to intervene and ensure due process was followed.

The police command, however, maintained that it would not be swayed by what it described as hasty conclusions drawn from politically motivated narratives circulating on social media. Abutu urged members of the public to disregard claims of illegal arrest and politically driven prosecution, reaffirming that the case rested on a clear and properly documented complaint from a victim whose injuries were independently noted, and that the command would continue to uphold the rule of law without fear or favour in the handling of all criminal matters.