Influencer Peller Faces Death Threats for Criticizing #30DaysRants Challenge on TikTok
Nigerian influencer, Habeeb Hamzat, better known as Peller, has confirmed that he has been receiving death threats following his call on Nigerians to desist from the #30DaysRants challenge on TikTok.
The social media influencer’s comments have attracted controversy, with some thinking that his position is an attempt to stifle free expression, while others believe it’s a call for restraint.
Peller, who is a popular figure on TikTok, expressed concerns that the growing trend of negative content, particularly criticism of the Nigerian government, could lead to a TikTok ban in Nigeria. He argued that such actions could harm his livelihood and those of other content creators on the platform.
“I’ve been receiving death threats. They said they would kill me like they killed Salo in Lekki Phase 1,” Peller added in a recent livestream, alluding to a shooting incident last year involving his colleague Oloba Salo in Lagos.
The #30DaysRants challenge, which gained enormous popularity within recent weeks, was set off by NYSC member Ushie Rita Uguamaye’s scathing remarks against President Tinubu’s administration. The challenge invited Nigerians to make a daily rant on TikTok, voicing complaints and grievances against the current political scenario. The trend went viral in a matter of moments, with influencers and ordinary citizens taking up the challenge to vent their discontent.
Peller did caution Nigerians against using TikTok for such negative content, however, and encouraged them to vent their anger on social media platforms such as Instagram or in open forums such as markets. His caution was motivated by the risk of TikTok being prohibited in Nigeria due to the increasingly vitriolic political rhetoric.
“I’m asking Nigerians to stop this trend because it could lead to TikTok being banned in the country, and that would hurt us all,” Peller said. His comments sparked an intense debate online, with supporters praising his concern for the platform and its users. However, others criticized him, accusing him of attempting to silence voices of dissent and stifle freedom of speech.
One of the known critics, lawyer Deji Adeyanju, who defends VeryDarkMan influencer, castigated Peller’s stance, arguing that Nigerians should be free to ventilate their angst, either on the platform or the platform. “This is an attempt at stifling free speech,” Adeyanju argued. “All people have a right to say what they want, and this should not be truncated by anyone or external agency.”
Peller’s remarks also generated interest among Nigeria’s legal community, with more fuelling the social media argument. Peller’s supporters referenced the threat of unregulated criticism, which could increase tensions within the country and lead to increased government monitoring of social media platforms.
The issue pinpoints the increased conflict between cyber activism, or how citizens employ social media platforms to articulate their opinions, and anxieties related to the potential for government censorship of the net. With Nigerians increasingly operating on the cyberfront, liberty of expression, censorship online, and whether governments can get into the act, are burning controversies.
Today, Peller’s call for restraint remains extremely divisive, with pro and anti-Peller factions contributing their voices to the controversy that is already ongoing. Whether or not this future of the #30DaysRants challenge takes a different route after Peller’s advisory comes down to wait and see, with many now wondering if it will change in any way.
