Deborah Akinyosoye
The Lagos State Police Command has dismissed fears of a kidnapping involving popular TikTok content creator Habeeb Hamzat, popularly known as Peller, insisting that the entertainer is “safe and not abducted.”
Panic had gripped social media in the early hours of Thursday after a viral video suggested that the comedian was forcefully dragged out of a vehicle by armed men suspected to be kidnappers. The clip, which trended across TikTok, Instagram, and X, showed Peller engaged in a heated altercation with men around a white minibus.
In the footage, the influencer was heard questioning why the men were pointing a gun at him before he was pulled from his car. The livestream ended abruptly, fueling speculations that he had been whisked away.
The incident generated a storm of reactions online, with many of his followers calling for urgent intervention from security agencies.
Reacting to the development on Channels TV, the Lagos Police Command spokesman, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, said Peller was never kidnapped, stressing that the situation was “blown out of proportion” by social media users.
According to him, preliminary findings revealed that there was no abduction and that the entertainer was safe. He, however, cautioned the public against spreading unverified information capable of sparking unnecessary panic.
His words: “The viral story of TikTok influencer Peller being kidnapped is not true. He is safe. There was an incident, but it was not a case of kidnapping as being peddled online. We advise the public to always verify information before sharing.”
Hundeyin further stated: “We are investigating the allegation, but we can confirm that the person in question, Habeeb, popularly known as Peller, is at home safe and sound. His vehicle is intact, all his phones and properties are with him, and nothing is missing. The outcome of our investigation will determine our next line of action.”