A female TikTok content creator at the centre of the controversy surrounding the 2026 Oloolu Masquerade Festival in Ibadan, Oyo State, has denied claims that she recorded the sacred Oloolu masquerade, insisting she only captured activities around the procession and is alive despite widespread rumours on social media.
The woman, identified as Wasilat, spoke during a telephone interview on Lagelu FM’s Ibi Aye N Lo programme on Monday, where she rejected allegations that she filmed the revered masquerade.
“I am not dead. I did not capture the Oloolu masquerade. May I never be implicated; I did not record Oloolu,” she said.
Recounting the events that led to the controversy, Wasilat explained that she had gone to her family’s shop in the Oremeji area but did not open it because business activities had already ended for the day.
According to her, she remained outside the shop and noticed an Amotekun patrol vehicle and other people moving through the area.
“Oloolu did not even pass through that route. I only recorded what I saw and shared it on social media. Afterwards, many people in the comment section asked me to delete the video,” she said.
She added that traditional custodians later approached her over the recording, expressing disappointment that no eyewitness came forward to explain what had actually happened.
“I don’t know why those who witnessed what happened did not defend me. I don’t know who started the allegations against me, but God will judge,” she added.
The controversy followed viral reports that the content creator narrowly escaped death after allegedly filming a procession associated with the annual Oloolu Festival. Videos circulating online later showed her participating in traditional cleansing rites at the Oloolu compound, fuelling speculation that she had violated a long-standing cultural taboo.
The spokesperson to the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Chief Adeola Oloko, clarified that Wasilat did not record the Oloolu masquerade itself but mistakenly captured Alawo Oloolu, a figure connected to the festival.
“She did not capture Oloolu; she mistook Alawo for the actual Oloolu masquerade. The Mogaji of the Oloolu compound confirmed that what she recorded was Alawo on the street,” Oloko said.
He explained that after uploading the footage, the woman’s family sought help from the traditional custodians when she reportedly experienced unusual health challenges.
“Her family reached out to the Oloolu people, who attended to her in line with the customs of the land. Women are traditionally forbidden from seeing Oloolu, and people are expected to obey those instructions,” he said.
Oloko, however, noted that he could not verify claims circulating online that the content creator disguised herself as a man to secretly record the procession.
An Ibadan-based content creator, Ayo Adams, who visited the Oloolu compound, also said officials confirmed that Wasilat was alive and recovering after undergoing the prescribed rites.
Meanwhile, the spokesperson for the Oyo State Police Command, CSP Ayanlade Olayinka, said the police had no official record of the incident.
“I have no information about the incident because it was not reported at any nearby police station,” he said.
The annual Oloolu Festival is one of Ibadan’s major traditional celebrations, attracting traditional rulers, worshippers and cultural enthusiasts for prayers, rituals, processions and other activities aimed at promoting peace, protection and communal prosperity.
