TikTok content creator Wasilat Olalere has alleged that she was compelled to falsely claim she became ill after allegedly recording the revered Oloolu masquerade in Ibadan, Oyo State.
Speaking during an interview with an Islamic cleric in Ibadan in a video that surfaced online on Wednesday, Olalere denied ever seeing the Oloolu masquerade or suffering any mysterious illness, contrary to claims she made in a previous viral video recorded after her release.
According to her, the footage she shared on TikTok only captured security operatives and residents gathered in anticipation of the annual Oloolu procession.
“I recorded Amotekun vehicles that were parked and people who were in front of our house waiting for Oloolu masquerade. I just captioned the video that Oloolu was around Atolu and that people should watch their movement so as not to come in contact with him.
“When I posted the video, people started reaching out to me that I should pull it down. I did immediately. I didn’t know that many had saved it,” she said.
Olalere further alleged that shortly after deleting the video, men she identified as members of the Oloolu traditional institution, popularly known as Sokoti, arrived at her shop, threatened her and took her away despite attempts by residents to intervene.
Recalling the incident, she said, “They said Olubadan had requested that I come. They said I would go to jail. I was begging them endlessly. They locked me up at Agungun Police Station and I was bailed out on Saturday. As soon as I got bailed out, they took me in another vehicle, saying we were going to Ode Aje to perform some traditional rites for me.”
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She alleged that she and her family were instructed to provide items required for the ritual, including a goat, a red cloth and a blade, before she underwent what was described as a cleansing ceremony.
“They told my mum to get a goat, red cloth and blade because she was the one that would scrape off my hair. They put the goat on my neck, told me to sit on a mortar, then killed the goat on my head and instructed me to let the blood dry completely on me. After that, they recorded me and told me to say that since I saw Oloolu, I had been unwell and bleeding all over my body. They also forced me to say that I was the one who came for cleansing.
“Nothing happened to me. I didn’t see any blood, not even my menstrual period. They called my husband in and collected N400,000 after we bought all the things for the traditional rites,” she alleged.
The controversy began after a video allegedly showing the Oloolu masquerade circulated on social media, prompting outrage from custodians of the traditional institution, who insist the masquerade must not be filmed or publicly displayed.
A subsequent video later emerged showing Olalere claiming she became seriously ill after recording the masquerade and underwent traditional cleansing. She now alleges those statements were made under duress.
Responding to the earlier controversy, the Family Secretary of the Oloolu masquerade, Oluwo Ishola Akeem, denied that Olalere was assaulted or forced into the rites. He maintained that she voluntarily admitted wrongdoing and sought traditional appeasement after violating long-standing cultural customs surrounding the masquerade.
Akeem also dismissed reports that she died following the ritual, insisting the cleansing was conducted in line with tradition after consultation with her family and denying allegations of physical abuse.
However, Olalere’s latest claims directly contradict that account, as she insists the traditional rites, the recorded statement and the alleged payment of N400,000 were all carried out against her will.