Eyewitness Shares Details as Man Climbs Billboard in Kano, Makes Special Demand
- An unidentified man climbed a billboard demanding a meeting with TikTok celebrities, sparking a dramatic standoff in Kano
- Incident sparks chaos, disrupts businesses, and leaves police officers injured as man refuses to come down
- Investigation ongoing to determine whether the incident was a mental health crisis or a calculated act for social media attention
Kano state - Residents of Kano were thrown into panic on Monday, June 23, when an unidentified young man climbed a towering billboard along Zaria road, a busy highway.
Legit.ng gathered that the young man was demanding to meet some popular TikTok celebrities before coming down, in what appeared to be a suicide attempt.
Speaking to an eyewitness, Legit.ng's findings revealed that the unidentified man scaled the billboard in the early hours, shouting and refusing to come down unless his demands were met.
Source: Twitter
Shocking demand revealed in negotiation
Speaking to our correspondent, Musa Ibrahim, a trader who was at the scene of the incident, said that the man appeared to be mentally unstable as he demanded the presence of TikTok celebrities.
“We saw him climbing like a madman, shouting things we couldn't properly hear, but later on we learnt that he want to meets some TikTok celebrities,” Ibrahim explained.
Aisha Mohammed, a bystander, shared her fears and concerns with Legit.ng after witnessing the extent to which the man made his demands.
“He was waving his hands and screaming, but the wind made it hard to hear him properly. We just knew he wanted something desperately.
“When I saw the chaos, I was scared, but after I learnt about the situation, I felt very worried about our youths and their future because many eye eyewitness said the man risked his life to that extent seeking for attention to trend on TikTok,” Aisha expressed.
Source: Twitter
Chaos as movement and businesses were grounded
Haruna Sani, a driver, recounted the ugly incident as the vehicle and business were grounded.
“Because of that stupidity, vehicles couldn't move for almost an hour. Some drivers abandoned their cars to watch the scary situation of what was happening," Sani shared.
Yusuf Bello, another driver, told our correspondent that people gathered at the scene to rescue the man as they believed he was doing that for a social media trend.
“People kept shouting at him to come down, while others were recording with their phones. It was chaotic, and we all thought he is going to commit su*cide.
“No man in his right senses will do that. I also believe what people are saying here that he climbed the billboard just so he trends on social media, because many does weird stuffs for that trending,” Bello revealed.
Police officers and journalists were injured
Another eyewitness, Abdallah Adam, described the incident as chaotic, saying police officers and journalists were caught amid the turmoil.
“His action has affected many people. A police officer was stoned and got injured; and journalists were caught up inside a tear gas.
“During that chaotic scene, many businesses were disrupted leading to many phone thefts too. And some are saying he is not even from Kano, he came from either Nasarawa state or Bauchi,” Adam explained.
Police rescue operation
Kano State Police Command sprang into action as it mobilised officers to the scene for a rescue operation. The incident attracted hundreds of onlookers.
A police source who pleaded anonymity due to a lack of authorisation to speak on the incident revealed that the man has a fixation with online personalities.
“He kept mentioning some TikTok names we didn't recognize. But whatever it is, we are currently looking into it to find out whether this was a mental health crisis or something more calculated,” the police source disclosed.
Reacting to the incident, Kano State Police Spokesman, SP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, in a Facebook post, revealed that the man issued a shocking demand.
“He said if the TikTok celebrities he follows didn't show up, he wouldn't come down," Kiyawa stated
Kiyawa further revealed that the Kano police officers exercised maximum patience while trying to prioritise saving his life above all else.
“The suspect is currently receiving medical attention at our Bompai facility,” he added.
Man claims billboard, threatens to jump
Legit.ng previously reported that a young man climbed a tall billboard, threatening to jump down near Gadar Lado, along Zaria Road in Kano state. The yet-to-be-identified man said he would only come down if certain TikTok celebrities he follows appeared at the scene.
As reported by The Punch, the state police spokesperson, SP Abdullahi Kiyawa, said the incident happened on Monday, June 23, 2025.
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Source: Legit.ng
Usman Bello Balarabe (Kano Correspondent) Kano's regional correspondent, Usman Bello Balarabe is a journalist, media strategist, and university lecturer in the state. He worked as an investigative journalist with Daily Trust Newspaper Nigeria. His career is passionately geared towards stimulating social justice, exposing corruption, ensuring good governance and accountability. In his over 7 years of journalism practice, he has authored investigations and numerous special and beat reports at the intersection of environment, health, education, agriculture, public spending, security, and politics.
Abdul-Hafeez Fadehan (Editorial Assistant) Abdul-Hafeez Fadehan is a Legit.ng journalist with over a year of experience writing for Punch Newspaper. He received his BSc in Criminology and Security Studies from FUOYE. His background in media communications and criminology, with practical experience in research, interviewing, and digital media, allows him to craft compelling narratives that drive positive change. Fadehan is an Editorial Assistant on Politics/CA Desk at Legit.ng. He is committed to ethical journalism, leveraging his skills to create a meaningful impact. Reach him at abdul-hafeez.fadehan@corp.legit.ng or 070622666732.
