It Was To Gain Followers – Tiktoker Speaks On Viral Bandit Attack

A 25-year-old fashion designer, Kowiu Oloyede, who was apprehended by the Ogun State Police Command for allegedly creating fake bandit attack videos on TikTok, has opened up on the reason behind his motive.

Naija News reports that Oloyede was arrested by officers of the Atan Ota Division on May 23, 2026, after his videos, which falsely suggested a bandit invasion, began circulating online and causing public concern.

In an interrogation video released by the Ogun police spokesperson, Oluseyi Babaseyi, the suspect said he opened his TikTok account in January 2026 to promote his fashion business but later joined a trending “bandit-themed” sound after seeing other creators use it.

He confessed that he staged the clips to gain followers and become popular like streamer Habeeb “Peller” Hamzat.

Speaking in Yoruba, Oloyede said he had no real information about any attack and only followed the trend to boost his account.

According to him, he chose a bush behind his shop as the filming location because other TikTok creators using the same audio had also recorded in bushes and deserted places.

He admitted that some young men living with him helped him produce the videos.

The suspect said the first clip attracted heavy attention, with many viewers asking whether the alleged attack was real. Although he claimed he replied to some comments explaining that it was merely content creation, he still went ahead to produce another video.

Oloyede said he later involved a Fulani herder who regularly brought cattle around his compound.

He explained that when he saw the man’s cows grazing nearby, he got the idea to make another clip suggesting he wanted to steal from the herder’s compound.

The fashion designer said the herder initially refused to participate, but while he was pleading with him, his brother recorded the scene and he later uploaded it.

Before the videos went viral, Oloyede said he had only about 60 followers on TikTok. After posting the fake bandit clips, his followers reportedly rose to more than 1,000.

He said his intention was not to cause panic but to gain online visibility.

“I used it to 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,” he said.

The Ogun police said the suspect created and circulated false content capable of causing fear in the community.