TikToker Undergoes Traditional Cleansing After Filming Oloolu Masquerade Procession in Ibadan

TikToker Undergoes Traditional Cleansing After Filming Oloolu Masquerade Procession in Ibadan.

A female TikTok content creator has undergone traditional rites following controversy over footage she recorded during the annual Oloolu Masquerade Festival in Ibadan, Oyo State.

The young woman, identified as Wasilat, became the centre of online debate after videos surfaced showing her participating in cleansing rituals at the Oloolu compound. Reports indicated she had filmed a procession associated with the revered masquerade festival, an act said to violate long-standing cultural restrictions.

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According to Chief Adeola Oloko, spokesperson to the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, the woman did not actually record the sacred Oloolu masquerade itself. Instead, she mistakenly captured Alawo Oloolu, a figure linked to the traditional festival, while the procession was moving through parts of Ibadan.

Shortly after uploading the footage online, the TikToker reportedly began experiencing unusual health challenges. According to Oloko, she complained that the blood in her body felt like it was drying up, prompting her family to seek help from the custodians of the Oloolu tradition.

The family contacted the Oloolu people, who attended to her according to the customs of the land. Videos circulating online showed what appeared to be a public traditional cleansing ceremony, with Wasilat surrounded by traditional worshippers. She was seen with her head shaved, dressed in red garments, and participating in rituals. Reports indicated that giant African snails and a ram were presented as part of the prescribed rites, with another video showing a goat being slaughtered.

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The secretary of the Oloolu compound, Oluwo Ishola Akeem, offered a slightly different account. He claimed that Wasilat had attempted to record the masquerade during the previous year’s festival but was unsuccessful. According to him, she returned this year disguised as a man in another attempt to capture the event.

Akeem said: “Last year, Wasilat recorded Oloolu but was not able to capture it well. This year, on the final day of the festival, she dressed like a man and recorded the followers and entourage, although she did not capture the masquerade itself. She later posted the video on TikTok” .

However, Oloko stated he could not confirm claims that the TikToker disguised herself as a man, noting that those were accounts circulating on social media .

TikToker Denies Filming Masquerade

In a telephone interview on Lagelu FM, Wasilat denied filming the sacred Oloolu masquerade and dismissed widespread speculation that she had died .

“I am not dead. I did not capture the Oloolu masquerade. May I not be implicated. I did not record Oloolu,” she said .

She explained that on the day of the incident, she went to her shop around the Oremeji axis but remained outside because the area had already been packed up for the procession. She said she saw people and an Amotekun vehicle passing, filmed that scene, and posted it online. Oloolu, she maintained, did not pass along that route.

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Her mother, Mrs Sekinat Wasiu, also defended her daughter, stating that Wasila neither dressed like a man nor followed the Oloolu masquerade. She explained that the main procession had already passed when her daughter recorded a short video showing only a few people who remained behind.

The Oyo State Police Command said it had no official record of the incident, as the matter was not reported at any police station known to the command .

Akeem dismissed reports circulating on social media that the TikToker had died, confirming that she had completed the required traditional rites and returned home .

“Wasilat is alive. She has returned home after completing the necessary rites and has said she will not repeat the act,” he said .

The Oloolu Festival is one of Ibadan’s prominent traditional celebrations, attracting worshippers, traditional rulers, and cultural enthusiasts from across Yorubaland. The event features processions, drumming, prayers, and other traditional rites aimed at honouring ancestors and promoting peace and prosperity. Custodians of the festival have consistently maintained that some aspects of the celebration are governed by strict traditional taboos, including restrictions on photography and video recording.