TIKTOKER ALLEGES SHE WAS FORCED TO CLAIM ILLNESS AFTER OLOOLU MASQUERADE CONTROVERSY
Read Time:2 Minute, 35 Second
By; Sunmola Ganiyat
A TikToker, Wasilat Olalere, has alleged that she was compelled to falsely claim she became ill after recording activities linked to the revered Oloolu masquerade in Ibadan, following a controversy sparked by a viral video she posted on social media.
Speaking during an interview with an Islamic cleric in Ibadan in a video that surfaced on Wednesday, Olalere insisted that she neither saw the Oloolu masquerade nor suffered any mysterious illness, contrary to claims made in an earlier video recorded after her release.
According to her, she only recorded Amotekun vehicles and residents gathered in anticipation of the annual outing of the masquerade before uploading the clip on TikTok with a caption alerting people to avoid the area.
She said she deleted the video shortly after several people advised her to remove it, but by then, many users had already downloaded and shared the clip.
Olalere alleged that after deleting the video, men identified as members of the Oloolu traditional institution, popularly known as Sokoti, stormed her shop, threatened her and took her away despite pleas from residents.
She claimed the men told her that the Olubadan wanted to see her and warned that she could be jailed. According to her, she was detained at Agungun Police Station before being granted bail on Saturday.
The TikToker further alleged that immediately after her release, she was taken to Ode Aje, where she and her family were compelled to provide items, including a goat, red cloth and a blade, for traditional rites.
Olalere claimed she was subjected to a cleansing ritual during which a goat was placed on her shoulders and later slaughtered over her head. She also alleged that she was instructed to allow the blood to dry on her body before being forced to record a video claiming she had fallen ill and suffered excessive bleeding after seeing the masquerade.
She maintained that she never experienced any strange illness or bleeding and alleged that her husband was made to pay ₦400,000 in addition to the cost of the ritual items.
The controversy began after a video allegedly showing the Oloolu masquerade circulated online, drawing criticism from custodians of the centuries-old Ibadan cultural institution, who argued that the masquerade is not meant to be filmed or publicly displayed.
Following the incident, another video emerged showing Olalere claiming she had become seriously ill after recording the masquerade and had undergone traditional cleansing. She now alleges that the statement was made under duress.
Responding to the allegations, the Family Secretary of the Oloolu masquerade, Oluwo Ishola Akeem, had earlier denied claims that Olalere was assaulted, insisting she voluntarily sought traditional cleansing after admitting she violated long-standing cultural norms surrounding the masquerade.
Akeem also dismissed reports that she died after the ritual and maintained that the cleansing was carried out in accordance with tradition and with the knowledge of her family, while denying any form of physical abuse.
However, Olalere’s latest account directly contradicts those claims, alleging that she was coerced into participating in the rites and making false statements about her health.
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