Hamzat Denies Links to Robbery Suspect Ahead of Elections

Oriyomi Hamzat, the governorship candidate for the Accord Party in Oyo State, has publicly denied any connections to Surajudeen Babatunde, a robbery suspect. Hamzat described the attempts to link him to Babatunde as a malicious smear campaign aimed at tarnishing his reputation ahead of the 2027 governorship elections.

He clarified that the allegations circulating on social media are unfounded and are intended to create a false narrative about his political aspirations. The controversy arose following a police operation on June 12, 2026, where officers raided Babatunde's residence in the Gbeku area of Olodo, leading to the recovery of firearms and the arrest of several individuals.

Hamzat emphasized that mere social connections do not imply knowledge of an individual's criminal activities and urged the public to allow law enforcement to conduct their investigations without dragging innocent people into criminal matters. He expressed his willingness to cooperate with law enforcement agencies regarding the investigation.