A 25-year-old fashion designer arrested by the Ogun State Police Command has admitted to creating fake bandit attack videos on TikTok in a bid to gain online popularity.
The suspect, Kowiu Oloyede, confessed during interrogation that he staged the clips to attract followers and become famous like streamer Habeeb ‘Peller’ Hamzat.
Speaking in Yoruba, Oloyede told Oluseyi Babaseyi, spokesperson of the Ogun police command, that he opened his TikTok account in January 2026 to promote his fashion business, but later turned to creating viral content after discovering a trending “bandit-themed audio” on the platform.
According to him, he decided to join the trend after seeing several creators using the sound while he was working in his shop.
“I didn’t get any special information from anywhere,” he said.
“I was making clothes when I checked TikTok and saw the trending bandit sound. Others were using it, so I followed suit.
“I used it so I could gain followers. People like Peller started from somewhere. Maybe God could help me through that. That was my intention. I didn’t know it would backfire.”
Oloyede explained that he used a bush behind his shop as the location for the videos because many creators using the same audio also filmed in isolated places. He added that some young men living with him assisted in producing the clips.
The first video, uploaded on a Monday, sparked concern online as viewers questioned whether the attack was genuine.
Oloyede said he responded to some comments, clarifying that it was only content creation, but proceeded to release another video involving a Fulani herder.
“There’s a Fulani man who often comes to my compound,” he said. “When I saw his cows grazing there, I got another idea to create a video as if I wanted to steal from his compound.”
He disclosed that the herder initially declined to participate in the skit.
“He initially refused. While I was pleading with him, my brother recorded everything, and I posted the video,” he added.
Before the videos gained traction, Oloyede reportedly had about 60 followers on TikTok. However, after the clips went viral, his follower count rose to over 1,000.