A female TikToker identified as Wasilat has been forced to undergo traditional cleansing after she was caught secretly filming a procession linked to the sacred Oloolu Masquerade in Ibadan, Oyo State, during its celebration held between July 27 and July 30.
The TikToker is said to have disguised herself as a man and recorded the revered masquerade despite repeated warnings that women must neither see nor record the masquerade in procession. The young lady is said to have started experiencing unexplained bleeding and emotional distress, leading to a traditional cleansing ceremony conducted by custodians of the Oloolu shrine. Videos shared online showed the traditionalists shaving the young lady’s hair as part of the cleansing ritual.
Confirming the incident to Punch, the spokesperson of the Olubadan of Ibadan, 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.
“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 Alawo of Oloolu for the real Oloolu masquerade captured it on the street.
After posting it, she realised 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.
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 said
