A female TikToker has undergone traditional cleansing rites at the Oloolu compound in Ibadan after allegedly recording a procession associated with the annual Oloolu Masquerade Festival.
Videos circulating online showed the content creator, whose identity has not been officially confirmed, with her head shaved, dressed in red attire and participating in traditional rites involving giant African snails, a ram and a slaughtered goat.
Traditional Authorities Explain Incident
Speaking with PUNCH Online, the spokesperson to the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Chief Adeola Oloko, clarified that the woman did not film the sacred Oloolu masquerade itself but mistakenly recorded Alawo Oloolu, a figure connected to the traditional festival.
“She did not capture Oloolu; she mistook it for Alawo. We contacted the Mogaji of the Oloolu compound, and he confirmed that a woman who mistook Alawo of Oloolu for the real Oloolu masquerade captured it on the street,” Oloko said.
He added that after uploading the video, the woman reportedly experienced unusual health challenges, prompting her family to seek help from the Oloolu custodians.
“After posting it, she realised the blood in her body began to dry. So her family reached out to the Oloolu people immediately, and they attended to her in accordance with the tradition of the land. We have told people to obey simple instructions; women are not supposed to see Oloolu, but out of curiosity, she disobeyed,” he said.
Oloko also stated that he could not confirm reports claiming the woman disguised herself as a man.
Content Creator Confirms Recovery
Ibadan-based content creator Ayo Adams, who visited the Oloolu compound, confirmed that the woman, identified in some reports as Wasilat, is alive and recovering.
According to him, she recorded the procession in the Oremeji area before reporting health concerns the following day.
He said security operatives later accompanied her and her family to the Oloolu compound, where the prescribed traditional rites were performed before she reunited with her family.
Police Yet to Receive Official Report
The Oyo State Police Command said it had no official information on the incident, noting that no formal complaint had been lodged at any nearby police station.
The annual Oloolu Festival is one of Ibadan’s prominent traditional celebrations and is observed with prayers, rituals, sacrifices, drumming and processions. The festival is guided by longstanding customs, including restrictions on women viewing the main masquerade and prohibitions against filming certain aspects of the event.
