- Safiu Kehinde
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) is set to prosecute Nigerian TikToker, Habeeb Hamzat, popularly known as Peller, over alleged reckless driving.
This is coming under the heels of Peller’s involvement in a lone accident along the Lekki-Epe Expressway on Sunday.
NPO Reported that the TikToker had, in the moment captured during a livestream session, rammed his new Benz into a roadside barricade shortly after threatening to commit suicide.
Peller was alleged to have had the accident over misunderstanding and rumoured breakup with his girlfriend, Jarvis.
Reacting to the development, the FRSC Corps Marshal of the FRSC, Shehu Mohammed, ordered the Lagos State Sector Commander of the FRSC to commence prosecution against Peller as he raised concerns over what he described as a growing trend of reckless road use among celebrities, content creators and social media influencers.
Mohammed, in a statement issued on Monday by the corps spokesperson, Olusegun Ogungbemide, described the incident as unlawful and dangerous, noting that it could have led to loss of lives.
The FRSC boss directed that the charge against the TikToker must include “reckless driving, use of phone while driving, and distracted driving, in accordance with extant traffic laws.”
He said the incident “serves as a grim reminder that fame does not confer immunity from the law, nor does it excuse dangerous behaviour on public roads.”
Mohammed stated that live streaming, content creation, recording or engaging in any activity that distracts a driver while driving is a direct violation of established road traffic regulations and poses grave danger not only to the driver but to other innocent road users.
He added that such actions undermine efforts aimed at reducing road traffic crashes and fatalities across the country.
The FRSC boss also called on professional bodies within the entertainment industry to take responsibility for the conduct of their members.
He urged actors’ guilds, entertainment associations, influencer networks, and content creator communities to rein in their members and promote responsible behaviour on Nigerian roads.
Noting the influence celebrities wield, especially among young Nigerians, he warned that they “must be seen as ambassadors of safety, not symbols of recklessness.”
Mohammed warned that the FRSC will not hesitate to apply the full weight of the law against any individual, celebrity or otherwise, found engaging in distracted or reckless driving
He stressed that “no social media content, online trend or momentary clout is worth a human life.”
He further reminded motorists that public roads are not studios, stages or streaming platforms, but shared spaces governed by laws designed to preserve lives.
Mohammed encouraged Nigerians to report dangerous driving behaviours and support collective efforts to make roads safer.