A female TikToker narrowly escaped death after allegedly recording a procession linked to the annual Oloolu Masquerade Festival in Ibadan, Oyo State.
The incident, which went viral on social media, sparked widespread debate after videos showed the woman undergoing traditional cleansing rites at the Oloolu compound.
Speaking with the press on Monday, Chief Adeola Oloko, the spokesperson of the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, said the woman did not record the sacred Oloolu masquerade itself but filmed Alawo Oloolu, a figure associated with the Oloolu tradition.
He stated that the traditional custodians confirmed that the woman captured the procession while it was moving through the Ibadan axis.
“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 the Alawo of Oloolu for the real Oloolu masquerade captured it on the street,” Oloko said.
He also stated that shortly after uploading the footage, the woman reportedly developed unusual health challenges, prompting her family to seek help from the traditional custodians.
“After posting it, she realized 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, however, noted that he could not verify claims circulating on social media that the woman disguised herself as a man to secretly record the procession.
“I cannot confirm she disguised herself as a man. Those are accounts on social media. But she took the footage or photo on the street,” he added.
Videos making the rounds online showed what appeared to be a public traditional cleansing ceremony, with the content creator surrounded by traditional worshippers.
She was observed shaving the head of the TikToker, clad in scarlet, and participating in rituals, with enormous African snails and a ram being delivered as part of the necessary procedures.
According to some social media users, her mother openly asked traditional custodians for forgiveness on her daughter’s behalf.
Another video shows a goat being murdered and its blood utilized for the cleansing rite on the TikToker .
Ayo Adams, an Ibadan-based content artist, claimed on X on Monday that he visited the Oloolu compound and that officials confirmed the woman’s survival and recovery.
“This morning, we were at Oloolu’s compound, and they informed us that the lady is alive.
“Last Thursday, Wasilat discreetly recorded Oloolu’s crowd in the Oremeji area of Ibadan. On Friday, she reported to security operatives about the state of her health, linking it to her previous action of recording Oloolu’s crowd.
“The police took her and her family to Oloolu’s compound in order to perform the necessary rites to restore her health to normalcy.
“As part of the rites, she was seen circling around the Ogun shrine located within Oloolu’s compound. The secretary of the compound confirmed that the lady has reunited with her family and is currently recovering,” Adams wrote on X.
The spokesperson for the Oyo State Police Command, Ayanlade Olayinka, said he has no information about the incident as it was not reported to a nearby station.
The annual Oloolu Festival is celebrated by descendants of the Oloolu lineage and attracts traditional rulers, worshippers, cultural enthusiasts, and visitors from across Yorubaland.
The event includes prayers, rituals, sacrifices, drumming, dancing, and processions to honor ancestors while seeking peace, protection, prosperity, and community well-being.
Unlike many public masquerade festivals, the Oloolu custom is guarded by rigorous rules, including prohibitions on photographing or recording certain portions of the parade.
