Popular TikToker Habeeb Hamzat, widely known as Peller, and his associate Bello Oladipo have been arraigned in a Lagos Magistrate Court over an alleged confrontation with police officers, sparking intense public debate about celebrity entitlement and law enforcement.
The duo faced a three-count charge including resisting public officers, obstructing them from performing their lawful duties, and threatening while recording the officers. The incident occurred on July 2 when Peller was stopped for allegedly driving without a number plate. He claimed he had just bought the vehicle, but officers insisted he follow them to the station. The situation escalated when Peller began filming.
According to the charge sheet, the defendants allegedly conspired to resist public officers, an offence punishable under Section 411 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State 2015. They were also accused of obstructing ASP Agbede Victor and other officers, contrary to Section 117(1)(2), and conducting themselves in a manner likely to cause a breach of public peace by threatening and videoing the officers, punishable under Section 168 (a) & (d).
Both pleaded not guilty. The court granted them bail in the sum of N500,000 each with two sureties, one of whom must be a blood relative, and directed them to present two years’ tax clearance certificates.
The case has divided netizens. Many praised the police and Lagos State Government for holding Peller accountable, arguing that fame does not place anyone above the law. Others questioned the speed of justice compared to cases involving bandits and kidnappers, while some accused the authorities of manufacturing charges.
Peller’s supporters claim he was harassed and that recording officers should not be criminalised, while critics say his actions showed disregard for authority and turned a routine traffic stop into content.