A female TikTok content creator at the centre of the controversy surrounding the annual Oloolu Masquerade Festival in Ibadan, Oyo State, has denied claims that she filmed the revered Oloolu masquerade.
The woman, identified as Wasilat, also dismissed widespread social media rumours alleging that she had died following the incident, insisting she neither recorded the sacred masquerade nor suffered the fate being circulated online.
Speaking during a telephone interview on Lagelu FM’s Ibi Aye N Lo programme, Wasilat explained that she only recorded activities around the Oremeji area and never captured the Oloolu masquerade itself.
According to her, she had gone to her family’s shop without opening it when she noticed people and an Amotekun vehicle passing by. She said she filmed the scene and later uploaded the video to social media, only to receive numerous messages urging her to delete it.
Wasilat maintained that she was wrongly accused, saying she remains alive and hopes justice will prevail.
The controversy began after videos surfaced online showing the TikToker participating in traditional cleansing rites at the Oloolu compound, fueling speculation that she had violated cultural traditions by filming the sacred procession.
Reacting to the incident, the spokesperson to the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Chief Adeola Oloko, clarified that the woman did not record the Oloolu masquerade but mistakenly filmed Alawo Oloolu, a figure associated with the Oloolu tradition.
Oloko explained that after uploading the footage, the woman reportedly experienced unusual health concerns, prompting her family to seek intervention from the traditional custodians, who carried out customary rites in line with local tradition.
He, however, said he could not confirm claims circulating online that the TikToker disguised herself as a man to secretly record the procession.
Videos from the cleansing ceremony showed Wasilat with a shaved head, dressed in red attire and participating in traditional rituals, while reports claimed offerings, including livestock, formed part of the prescribed rites.
Meanwhile, Ibadan-based content creator Ayo Adams said he visited the Oloolu compound and was informed that Wasilat was alive, had reunited with her family and was recovering after the traditional rites.
The Oyo State Police Command also stated that it had no official report of the incident.
The annual Oloolu Festival is one of Ibadan’s major cultural events, attracting traditional rulers, worshippers and visitors from across Yorubaland for prayers, rituals and cultural processions.