Ibadan TikToker: I am alive, I didn’t film Oloolu masquerade

By Adejayan Gbenga

The female TikTok content creator who reportedly fell ill after mistakenly videotaping the Alawo Oloolu has stated that she did not film the sacred Oloolu masquerade, stressing also that she did not die as widely claimed on social media.

Speaking during a telephone interview on Lagelu FM’s Ibi Aye N Lo programme on Monday, the woman, identified as Wasilat, said she only recorded a procession along the Oremeji area of Ibadan and had no intention of violating any traditional rule. She maintained that the Oloolu masquerade did not pass through the route where she took the video.

“I am not dead. I did not capture the Oloolu masquerade. May I not be implicated; I did not record Oloolu,” she said in Yoruba language. Wasilat explained that she had gone to her family’s shop, where she saw people passing by, including an Amotekun security vehicle, and decided to record the scene before sharing it on social media.

According to her, many people later urged her to delete the video, while others accused her of recording the sacred masquerade. She expressed disappointment that eyewitnesses did not defend her, saying she did not understand how the allegation against her gained widespread attention.

Her reaction comes after videos circulated online showing her undergoing traditional cleansing rites at the Oloolu compound, sparking speculation that she became ill after recording a procession linked to the annual festival. The incident generated widespread debate across social media platforms.

Earlier, the spokesperson to the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Chief Adeola Oloko, explained that Wasilat did not record the sacred Oloolu masquerade but mistakenly captured Alawo Oloolu, a figure associated with the Oloolu tradition. He said her family later sought the intervention of traditional custodians after she reportedly developed health challenges following the upload of the video.

Oloko also said he could not confirm social media claims that the content creator disguised herself as a man to secretly record the procession. He, however, reminded residents that women are traditionally prohibited from seeing the Oloolu masquerade and urged the public to respect the customs guiding the annual cultural festival.

Meanwhile, Ibadan-based content creator Ayo Adams, who visited the Oloolu compound, said officials confirmed that Wasilat was alive, had reunited with her family and was recovering after undergoing the prescribed traditional rites.