21.3.2026
Queen Ewuare of Benin Kingdom has branded members of the Benin Traditional Council liars for claiming that TikTok star Hamza Habeeb Adelaja a.k.a Peller did not get authorisation to visit the Oba of Benin Palace on March 6, 2026.
The Benin Traditional Council in statement signed by Frank Irabor had reprimanded several palace officials and vowed to discipline the Queen for “desecration of the sacred precincts of the palace” by allowing Peller in.
But Queen Ewuare said Peller’s visit was approaved and well documented, adding that BTC statement was misleading.
“Hello everyone, the issues at hand aren’t just because Peller came to the palace or because I gifted him; a lot has been happening behind closed doors,” she shared on her TikTok @queen_ewuare-_backup social media platform.
“The Benin Traditional Council lied that Peller’s visit was unauthorised and that I brought him to the palace. I hope I will be able to convince you all that Peller’s visit was authorised.”
She posted a letter, stamped and acknowledged by the council on February 23, 2026, notifying the palace of Peller’s planned visit. The letter, titled Courtesy Visit and addressed to Oba Ewuare II, formally requested a brief audience for the influencer, accompanied by Uyiekpen Ogiefa, son of Chief Courage Uyi Ogiefa.
“With utmost respect and humility, we write to formally inform the palace of the planned visit of a very prominent online streamer, Peller, to Benin, and to the revered palace of the Oba of Benin on March 3, 2026,” the letter partly read.
The council, however, maintains that the visit breached protocol, insisting that the palace is “not a public thoroughfare or a location for frivolous content creation,” and emphasizing its role as “the ancient and spiritual seat of the Oba of Benin, governed by centuries of tradition, custom, and sacred protocols.”
Peller’s management, meanwhile, defended the influencer, stressing that proper procedures were followed and any perceived missteps were unintentional.
“This was fully respected, and the visit proceeded accordingly. That said, we understand that certain moments during the visit may have been perceived as inappropriate. Any mispronunciations or actions were unintentional and purely human, possibly influenced by excitement and the warmth of the reception,” the statement read.
“Peller is deeply passionate about promoting Nigerian culture, and it would never be his intention to disrespect the very heritage he is committed to showcasing to the world. At no point was it the mission or intention to offend or disrespect the culture in any way.”