A yet-to-be-identifed female TikTok user narrowly escaped death after allegedly recording a procession linked to the annual Oloolu Masquerade Festival in Ibadan, Oyo State.

The incident, which has gone viral on social media, sparked widespread debate after videos showed the woman undergoing traditional cleansing rites at the Oloolu compound.

Speaking with PUNCH Online on Monday, Chief Adeola Oloko, the spokesperson of the Olubadan of Ibadanland, 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.

He said the traditional custodians confirmed that the woman captured the procession while it was moving through the Ibadan axis.

“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.,” Oloko said.

He added that shortly after uploading the footage, the woman reportedly developed unusual health challenges, prompting her family to seek help from the traditional custodians.

“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,” he said.

Oloko, however, said he could not verify claims circulating on social media that the woman disguised herself as a man to secretly record the procession.

“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 added.

Videos circulating online showed what appeared to be a public traditional cleansing ceremony, with the content creator surrounded by traditional worshippers.

She was seen with her head shaved, dressed in red garments and participating in rituals, while giant African snails and a ram were reportedly presented as part of the prescribed rites.

Some social media users claimed her mother was publicly appealing to the traditional custodians for mercy on behalf of her daughter.

Another video showed that a goat was slaughtered and its blood used during the cleansing ritual.

According to Ibadan-based content creator, Ayo Adams on X on Monday, he claimed he visited the Oloolu compound and said officials confirmed that the woman was alive and recovering.

“This morning, we were at Oloolu’s compound, and they informed us that the lady is alive.

“Last Thursday, Wasilat discreetly recorded Oloolu’s crowd in Oremeji area of Ibadan. On Friday, she reported to security operatives about the state of her health, linking it to her previous action of recording Oloolu’s crowd.

“The police took her and her family to Oloolu’s compound in order to perform the necessary rites to restore her health to normalcy.

“As part of the rites, she was seen circling around the Ogun shrine located within Oloolu’s compound. The secretary of the compound confirmed that the lady has reunited with her family and is currently recovering,” Adams wrote on X.

When contacted by PUNCH Online, the spokesperson for the Oyo State Police Command, Ayanlade Olayinka, said he has no information about the incident as it was not reported to a nearby station.

The annual Oloolu Festival is celebrated by descendants of the Oloolu lineage and attracts traditional rulers, worshippers, cultural enthusiasts and visitors from across Yorubaland.

The festival features prayers, rituals, sacrifices, drumming, dancing and processions aimed at honouring ancestors while seeking peace, protection, prosperity and communal well-being.

Unlike many public masquerade festivals, the Oloolu tradition is regarded by its custodians as one surrounded by strict taboos, including restrictions on photographing or recording certain aspects of the procession.

PUNCH Online had earlier reported that the palace of the Olubadan of Ibadanland released the movement schedule for the 2026 Oloolu Masquerade Festival, detailing the communities the masquerade visited between July 28 and July 30. (The PUNCH)

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