A woman identified as Wasilat has reportedly experienced persistent bleeding after allegedly recording the Oloolu masquerade during its annual cultural procession in the Oremeji area of Ibadan, Oyo State.
Drivetvnews gathered that the incident was said to have occurred after the woman ignored repeated warnings from the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rasidi Adewolu Ladoja, who had advised residents against taking photographs, making videos or recording the sacred Oloolu masquerade procession held between July 27 and July 30.
The monarch also reiterated that, according to Ibadan tradition, women are forbidden from seeing the Oloolu masquerade and urged members of the public to respect the customs governing the annual event.
Sources familiar with the matter alleged that Wasilat, believed to be in her early twenties, disguised herself as a man to secretly film the procession before uploading the video to her TikTok account.
It was further claimed that she later developed persistent bleeding and reportedly approached security operatives, linking her condition to her alleged recording of the masquerade.
According to community sources, police officers later accompanied the woman and her relatives to the Oloolu compound, where traditional rites were reportedly performed in an attempt to address her condition.
Videos circulating online allegedly show the woman walking around the Ogun shrine within the Oloolu compound while carrying a goat on her shoulder. Another clip reportedly shows her mother shaving her head as she wore a necklace made of five snail shells and a red wrapper.
Community sources also claimed that a goat was sacrificed as part of traditional rites intended to appease the Oloolu masquerade after the woman allegedly violated the long-standing cultural restrictions.
Contrary to reports circulating on social media that she had died, sources within the community maintained that Wasilat is alive, recovering and has since reunited with her family.
“This morning, we visited the Oloolu compound, and we were informed that the lady is alive,” one source said.
The Oloolu masquerade is regarded as one of Ibadan’s revered traditional institutions and is celebrated annually as part of the city’s cultural heritage. The procession is governed by customs that prohibit women from viewing the masquerade and forbid unauthorised photography or video recording.
