A TikToker, Wasilat Olalere, whose viral video allegedly showing the popular Ibadan-based Oloolu masquerade sparked controversy last week, has alleged that she was forced to falsely claim that she became ill after recording the revered traditional figure.
Olalere made the allegation during an interview with an Islamic cleric in Ibadan in a video that began trending on Wednesday, insisting that she neither saw the Oloolu masquerade nor suffered any strange ailment as earlier portrayed in a widely circulated video recorded after her release.
According to her, she only filmed security operatives and residents who gathered in anticipation of the annual outing of the masquerade before uploading the clip on TikTok.
She explained that she had merely recorded parked Amotekun vehicles and residents gathered outside her house waiting for the Oloolu masquerade, captioning the video to alert people that Oloolu was around Atolu so they could avoid crossing paths with him. She added that after posting the video, several people advised her to pull it down, which she did immediately, without realizing that many had already saved it.
The TikToker further alleged that shortly after deleting the video, some men identified as members of the Oloolu traditional institution, popularly called Sokoti, stormed her shop, threatened her and eventually took her away despite pleas from residents.
Recounting her ordeal, Olalere said the men claimed the Olubadan had requested her presence and warned that she would go to jail. Despite her continuous begging, she was locked up at Agungun Police Station until she was bailed out on Saturday, after which she was immediately taken in another vehicle to Ode Aje to perform traditional rites.
She alleged that she and her family were compelled to procure items for the ritual, including a goat, red cloth and blade, before she was subjected to a cleansing ceremony.
She explained that her mother was instructed to obtain a goat, red cloth, and a blade to scrape off her hair. The men then placed the goat on her neck, ordered her to sit on a mortar, slaughtered the goat over her head, and instructed her to let the blood dry completely on her. Afterward, they recorded her and forced her to state that she had been bleeding and unwell ever since seeing Oloolu, and that she was the one who had come for cleansing.
Olalere maintained that nothing had actually happened to her, noting that she experienced no physical issues, bleeding, or abnormal symptoms. She added that after they bought all the required items for the traditional rites, the men brought her husband in and collected N400,000 from them.
PUNCH Online had earlier reported that Olalere’s video allegedly showing the Oloolu masquerade triggered outrage among custodians of the age-long Ibadan cultural institution, who argued that the masquerade is not meant to be recorded or publicly displayed.
Following the controversy, a video later emerged showing Olalere claiming she had become seriously ill after recording the masquerade and had undergone traditional cleansing, a claim she has now alleged was made under duress.
Also reacting to the incident, the Family Secretary of the Oloolu masquerade, Oluwo Ishola Akeem, had said that Olalere was not assaulted by members of the Oloolu family and she came for the rites to ward off the illness befalling her after recording the masquerade.
He maintained that she voluntarily admitted wrongdoing and sought traditional appeasement after violating longstanding cultural norms surrounding the masquerade.
Akeem also dismissed allegations that she was dead after the traditional rites, insisting that the cleansing was carried out in accordance with tradition after consultations with her family, while denying claims of physical abuse.
However, Olalere’s latest account directly contradicts that position, as she alleged that the rites, the subsequent video and the payment of N400,000 were all carried out under coercion.
