Police Arrest Tailor for ‘Fake Bandit Attack’ Video on TikTok

Qowiy Oloyede

Police Arrest Tailor for ‘Fake Bandit Attack’ Video on TikTok

The Ogun State Police Command has arrested a tailor, Qowiy Oloyede, for allegedly staging a fake bandit attack video on TikTok to gain followers, as authorities warn that offenders will face prosecution under the Cybercrimes Act.

A Nigerian man has been arrested by the Ogun State Police Command for allegedly fabricating and circulating a false video that claimed armed bandits had invaded the Atan Ota community in Ogun State. The suspect, identified as Qowiy Oloyede (also reported in some sources as Kowi Oloyede), is a tailor residing on Oriya Sokoto Road, Atan Ota.

The arrest was made on May 23, 2026, following a complaint lodged by one Ayinla Sodiq of Obasanjo Ota, who accused Oloyede of creating and sharing a misleading video designed to cause public panic. According to reports from counterinsurgency publication Zagazola Makama, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) immediately interrogated the suspect, who allegedly admitted to fabricating the entire incident solely to gain TikTok followers and boost online engagement.

A viral video circulating online shows the suspect kneeling before a police officer as he confessed to orchestrating the fake attack. Oloyede disclosed that the “herder” featured in his video as an attacker was actually a local cattle rearer who regularly grazes cows behind his shop. According to the suspect, the herdsman initially declined to participate in the staged clip before eventually agreeing.

During questioning, Oloyede made several startling revelations. Claiming he could neither read nor write, he stated that he instructed his apprentice to draft the alarming captions that accompanied the video when it was posted online. He further revealed that this was not an isolated incident, admitting that he had produced and posted two similar fake attack videos earlier in the week—one on Monday and another on Wednesday.

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Police operatives have successfully recovered photographic and video evidence directly linked to the fabricated publications. Authorities have indicated that Oloyede is expected to be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID) in Abeokuta for a more thorough investigation and possible prosecution.

The Police Command has issued a strong warning to residents and content creators against spreading false security information, stating that those found guilty of circulating fake news will face prosecution under the Cybercrimes Act. They stressed that such actions are capable of inciting severe public panic and disrupting public order, urging citizens to rigorously verify sensitive information before amplifying it on social media platforms.

This incident is part of a disturbing trend of content creators staging fake security incidents for social media attention. In a similar case, the Edo State Police Command previously arraigned a 24-year-old TikToker, Osarobo Omoyemen, popularly known as “Madam Oil Rice,” for fabricating a kidnapping story to gain followers. Omoyemen had falsely claimed she was kidnapped along Upper Sakponba Road in Benin City, rescued by police, and detained at a police station where N10,000 was allegedly collected as bail. She later confessed that the entire story was staged solely to generate online content.

The FCT Police Command has also dealt with a similar case. In April 2026, the command arrested one Pam Joshua, a 24-year-old resident of Abuja, for deliberately fabricating a video using gunshot sounds and footage sourced from TikTok, falsely presenting it as an ongoing terrorist attack in the nation’s capital. The FCT Commissioner of Police, CP Ahmed Muhammed Sanusi, stated that the suspect admitted to creating the fake content just to get followers on TikTok, warning content creators that “the police have advanced” and will arrest anyone posting false videos capable of causing panic.

Security experts have repeatedly raised concerns over the growing trend of fake security alerts and misinformation on social media platforms, warning that such actions could trigger unnecessary panic and undermine public confidence in security agencies. In one notable instance, a content creator identified as “Za Baba” was flagged by fact-checkers for producing a staged video mocking Nigerian soldiers as weak while glorifying bandits as “warriors,” a case that Zagazola Makama described as “reckless amplification of enemy narratives.”

Authorities have made it clear that these arrests serve as a deterrent to others who may attempt to misuse social media to create panic or disrupt public peace. The Police Command has urged the public to verify information before sharing on social media platforms, emphasizing that misinformation capable of inciting fear and public disorder will not be tolerated.