The controversy surrounding the visit of social media influencer, Habeeb Adelaja (popularly known as Peller), to the Benin Royal Palace has taken a dramatic turn, as Queen Ewuare of the Benin Kingdom publicly challenged claims that the visit was unauthorised.
The queen’s response follows her suspension by the Benin Traditional Council, alongside some chiefs and a palace staff member, over what the council described as a ‘desecration of the sacred precincts of the palace’.
Peller, who is currently on a nationwide tour, visited the palace in Benin City, Edo State, on 6 March.
He was reportedly received by certain palace officials during the visit, which later sparked outrage within traditional circles.
In a statement on Tuesday, by the Secretary of the Benin Traditional Council, Frank Irabor, the council condemned the visit as a ‘breach of protocol’, ordering Peller to appear before a committee of chiefs to explain his actions and tender an unreserved written apology.
The council further alleged that Peller and his entourage gained access to the palace without the requisite approval, adding that their conduct caused ‘significant embarrassment’ and disrupted the peace within the palace grounds.
It also disclosed that the queen involved in the incident was facing ‘serious disciplinary proceedings’, which could ultimately result in her removal from the palace.
Queen pushes back
In a swift public rebuttal, Queen Ewuare took to her TikTok account (@queen_ewuare-_backup) on Thursday to contest the council’s claims, insisting that the narrative being circulated was misleading.
A review by Saturday PUNCH indicates that the queen made her first video post on the TikTok account on 26 March 2022.
An examination of the page, which now boasts over two million followers, further shows that she consistently shares photos and video content featuring herself and the Oba of Benin during personal engagements and official royal ceremonies.
Sharing what she described as documentary evidence, the queen posted a copy of a letter bearing an acknowledgement stamp from the Benin Traditional Council, which she said proved that Peller’s visit had been formally communicated to the palace ahead of time.
The queen explained that the controversy surrounding Peller’s presence at the palace was influenced by misleading claims from the BTC.
‘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.
‘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.
‘Look at the stamp on this letter; it shows it was received by the Benin Traditional Council, but they’re all lying against me. But this isn’t even the main problem; there are other issues far bigger than what you all think’, she wrote.
The queen also expressed appreciation to supporters who had reached out to check on her following the development.
The disputed letter
The document shared by the queen, observed by Saturday PUNCH, carries a stamp and signature indicating it was received by the council on 23 February 2026.
Titled ‘Courtesy Visit’ and addressed to Oba Ewuare II, the letter was signed by Uyiekpen Ogiefa. It formally notified the palace of Peller’s planned visit to Benin and requested a brief audience with the monarch.
‘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 3 March 2026’, the letter partly read.
