Peller apologises to Christians after calling himself Jesus on livestream

Nigerian content creator Habeeb Adelaja, widely known as Peller, has apologised to Christians after a livestream in which he dressed in white and asked a guest to address him as Jesus Christ.

The clip, which began circulating on November 1, 2026, showed the streamer introducing himself by the name rather than his own. The guest pushed back, saying the joke was irresponsible given Peller's large following, reported by one outlet as about 17 million people.

The exchange drew heavy criticism from social media users, many of whom argued that religious figures should not be used for entertainment.

What Peller said

In his apology, Peller said he never set out to mock the Christian faith. He explained that he had simply worn a white outfit and did not expect the reaction it caused.

"Christian people, sorry. You hear? I don't know."

He described himself as a Christian who attends the Christ Apostolic Church, and also referred to Islam while addressing the controversy.

During the original stream, one outlet reported that Peller called himself a traditionalist who practises juju, not a Christian. In his apology, he said he is a Christian who goes to the Christ Apostolic Church and is "a Muslim on one side."

Why it matters

Peller is one of Nigeria's most followed online personalities, and his streams reach millions of young Nigerians daily. Remarks about religion travel fast in a country where faith is taken seriously by both Christians and Muslims, and can quickly strain relationships between communities.

For his fans, the episode is a reminder that what is said live online does not stay in the stream. For brands and platforms that work with him, it is a test of how quickly a controversy can grow.

It is not clear whether the guest who challenged him on camera has spoken since the apology.