The woman at the centre of the Oloolu TikToker controversy has denied filming the sacred masquerade and dismissed reports that she died after the incident.
According to Punch, Wasilat made the clarification during a telephone interview on Lagelu FM’s Ibi Aye N Lo programme on Monday.
She said she remained alive and insisted that the video she posted did not show the revered Oloolu masquerade.
“I am not dead. I did not capture the Oloolu masquerade,” she said.
Wasilat explained that she visited her family’s former shop around the Oremeji area last Thursday. She remained outside without opening the shop because they had already moved away from the location.
She said she later saw people and an Amotekun vehicle moving through the area and decided to record them.
According to her, Oloolu did not pass through the route shown in her video.
“When I saw people passing, I saw an Amotekun vehicle passing. Oloolu did not even pass through that route,” she said.
Wasilat added that she uploaded the recording before TikTok users warned her to delete it.
She said some people visited her at the shop the following day, but witnesses who saw what happened failed to defend her.
“I do not know why the eyewitnesses on Thursday did not defend me,” she said.
“I don’t know who came up with that agenda, but I know God will judge.”
Conflicting accounts trail Oloolu TikToker controversy
Wasilat’s explanation differs from some accounts given by traditional representatives following the controversy.
The spokesperson for the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Adeola Oloko, said she did not record the sacred Oloolu masquerade.
However, he claimed that she mistakenly captured Alawo Oloolu, a figure connected to the traditional procession.
“She did not capture Oloolu; she mistook it for Alawo,” Oloko said.
He said the Mogaji of the Oloolu compound confirmed that a woman recorded Alawo Oloolu on the street after mistaking the figure for the main masquerade.
Oloko could not confirm social media claims that Wasilat disguised herself as a man before recording the procession.
He said those claims remained unverified accounts circulating online.
The secretary of the Oloolu compound, Oluwo Ishola Akeem, also gave a different account of the incident.
Akeem said Wasilat filmed members of the masquerade’s entourage but did not clearly capture Oloolu itself.
According to him, she posted the footage with a caption identifying the procession as Oloolu at the Sokoto area.
He also claimed that she later deleted the recording and apologised after the controversy intensified.
Wasilat undergoes traditional rites
Videos circulating online showed Wasilat participating in traditional rites at the Oloolu family compound.
In the footage, she appeared with her hair shaved and wore red clothing while traditional worshippers surrounded her.
Reports described the ceremony as a cleansing exercise conducted after the disagreement over her social media post.
Animals and other traditional items were also reportedly presented during the rites.
However, Wasilat did not explain during the radio interview whether she participated voluntarily or under pressure.
Traditional representatives said her family approached the custodians after she complained about her health.
Oloko claimed that Wasilat developed an unusual health problem after uploading the footage.
His account represents a traditional belief and has not received independent medical confirmation.
The controversy attracted further attention after social media users began circulating false reports that Wasilat had died.
Wasilat and officials from the Oloolu compound have since confirmed that she remains alive.
Content creator says Wasilat is recovering
Ibadan-based content creator Ayo Adams said he visited the Oloolu compound and received confirmation that Wasilat had returned to her family.
Adams said traditional officials informed him that she remained alive and was recovering at home.
He claimed Wasilat had recorded the crowd around the procession before complaining about her health the following day.
According to his account, she and members of her family later visited the Oloolu compound for the required rites.
Adams said the compound’s secretary confirmed that she had reunited with her relatives after completing the ceremony.
Police have no record of incident
The Oyo State Police Command said it had no official record of the controversy.
Police spokesperson Ayanlade Olayinka said officers had not received a report at any nearby station.
“I have no information about the incident because it was not reported at any nearby police station,” he said.
His statement contradicted claims that police officers took Wasilat and her family to the Oloolu compound.
The conflicting accounts leave several details surrounding her visit to the compound unclear.
Authorities have also not announced any investigation into whether she faced threats, assault or coercion during the incident.
Festival attracts yearly attention
The Oloolu Festival is an annual cultural event held in Ibadan, Oyo State.
It features traditional prayers, drumming, dancing, sacrifices and processions through different parts of the city.
Traditional custodians regard the masquerade as sacred and maintain specific rules concerning who can see or record it.
Women are traditionally prohibited from seeing the Oloolu masquerade during its public movement.
The Olubadan palace released a schedule showing communities the masquerade would visit between July 28 and July 30.
Wasilat’s case has since triggered debate about cultural traditions, individual rights and responsible social media use.
While traditional representatives insist that cultural restrictions must be respected, others have questioned how the TikToker was treated after the video appeared online.
For now, Wasilat maintains that she never recorded the sacred masquerade and remains alive despite rumours suggesting otherwise.
