Popular Female TikToker Breaks Silence After Narrowly Escaping Death Over Videoing Masquerade at Oloolu Festival

• A female TikTok content creator has denied filming the sacred Oloolu masquerade after videos of her traditional cleansing sparked nationwide reactions.

• AAC presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore has since condemned the ritual, describing it as a violation of human dignity.

The controversy surrounding a female TikTok content creator who allegedly filmed a procession linked to the annual Oloolu Masquerade Festival in Ibadan, Oyo State, has taken a fresh turn after the woman denied recording the sacred masquerade, while African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, condemned the traditional cleansing she later underwent.

The incident, which sparked widespread debate across social media, followed reports that the content creator narrowly escaped death after allegedly filming a procession associated with the revered Oloolu Masquerade Festival.

Videos that later surfaced online showed the woman undergoing traditional cleansing rites at the Oloolu compound, with many social media users claiming she had violated a sacred cultural tradition.

Reacting to the development on Monday, Sowore described the alleged cleansing as an abuse of human dignity, insisting that any cultural or religious practice that oppresses or discriminates against individuals should be abandoned.

“I learned today that a TikToker underwent a traditional ‘cleansing’ ritual after filming an Oloolu masquerade procession,” Sowore wrote on Facebook.

“While culture occupies a vital place in our lives, any cultural practice that is oppressive, discriminatory, or insensitive to gender should be abandoned immediately.

“Wasila was ultimately abused and stripped of her dignity by the very people who are often quick to condemn Islamists for engaging in similar acts.

“It does not matter whether such abuse is carried out by Islamists, traditionalists, or anyone else. Any culture, tradition, or belief system that violates human dignity is unacceptable and has no place in a just society.”

However, the TikToker, identified as Wasilat, has denied widespread claims that she filmed the sacred Oloolu masquerade or died after the incident.

Speaking during a telephone interview on Lagelu FM’s Ibi Aye N Lo programme, Wasilat insisted she only recorded activities on the street and never captured the revered masquerade.

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

Recounting the incident, she explained that she had gone to her family’s shop in the Oremeji area on Thursday and remained outside after noticing people passing by.

“When I saw people passing, I saw an Amotekun vehicle passing. Oloolu did not even pass through that route.

“So I filmed it and posted it on social media. Everyone in the TikTok comment section asked me to delete it. The following day, while I was at the shop, they came to meet me there.”

She added that she was disappointed no eyewitness defended her and insisted she had been wrongly accused.

The spokesperson to the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Chief Adeola Oloko, also clarified that the woman did not record the sacred Oloolu masquerade itself but mistakenly captured Alawo Oloolu, a traditional figure associated with the festival.

According to him, traditional custodians confirmed that the woman filmed Alawo Oloolu on the street after mistaking the figure for the actual Oloolu masquerade.

Oloko further claimed that after uploading the footage, Wasilat reportedly developed unusual health challenges, prompting her family to seek help from the Oloolu traditional custodians.

He said the custodians performed the necessary traditional rites in line with local customs after the family sought intervention.

“We have told people to obey simple instructions; women are not supposed to see Oloolu, but out of curiosity, she disobeyed,” he said.

He, however, noted that he could not confirm reports circulating on social media claiming the woman disguised herself as a man to secretly film the procession.

Videos circulating online showed Wasilat participating in what appeared to be a public traditional cleansing ceremony. She was seen with her head shaved, dressed in red garments and surrounded by traditional worshippers.

Other clips showed giant African snails, a ram and what appeared to be a goat being used during the ritual, while social media users alleged that her mother pleaded with the traditional custodians for mercy.

Meanwhile, Ibadan-based content creator Ayo Adams, who visited the Oloolu compound, disclosed that officials confirmed Wasilat was alive and recovering.

According to him, she reported health concerns after recording the procession, prompting security operatives to escort her and her family to the Oloolu compound for the prescribed traditional rites.

He added that officials at the compound confirmed she had reunited with her family after the ceremony and was recovering.

The Oyo State Police Command, however, said it had no official record of the incident.

Police spokesperson, CSP Ayanlade Olayinka, stated that the matter was never reported at any police station.

The annual Oloolu Festival is one of Ibadan’s prominent traditional celebrations, attracting worshippers, traditional rulers and visitors from across Yorubaland. The event features prayers, sacrifices, drumming, dancing and cultural processions aimed at honouring ancestors while seeking peace, protection, prosperity and communal wellbeing.