I Staged Fake Bandit Videos On TikTok To Gain Followers — Suspect

A 25-year-old fashion designer, Kowiu Oloyede, has been arrested by the Ogun State Police Command after confessing to making fake bandit attack videos on TikTok just to become famous online.

While being questioned by the Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, Oluseyi Babaseyi, the suspect admitted that he created the scary videos to quickly increase his followers and match the fame of top content creators.

According to Oloyede, he originally opened his TikTok account in January 2026 to showcase his tailoring business, but changed his mind when he saw a trending “bandit-themed sound” on the app.

“I didn’t get any special information from anywhere. 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,” he said.

The suspect stated that he filmed the videos in a bush right behind his workshop, with the help of some young men living with him.

Even though the first video caused serious panic among viewers who asked whether the threat was real, Oloyede went on to make a second fake video featuring a local herder.

“There’s a Fulani man who often comes to my compound. 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 added.

Oloyede admitted that he convinced the herder to participate in the video while his brother did the recording.

Before posting the fake security threats, the fashion designer had only about 60 followers, but the number quickly jumped past 1,000 once the videos went viral and caught the attention of the police.