I was forced to claim illness, TikToker recounts ordeal over Oloolu masquerade rites

TikToker Wasilat Olalere recounted her ordeal of being forced to falsely claim illness after recording the popular Ibadan-based Oloolu masquerade. In an interview with an Islamic cleric in Ibadan, Olalere stated that she only filmed security vehicles and people waiting for the Oloolu masquerade, not the masquerade itself. She then alleged that after deleting the video, men from the Oloolu traditional institution, known as Sokoti, stormed her shop, threatened her, and took her away to perform traditional rites.

She said they demanded items such as a goat, red cloth, and a blade for a cleansing ceremony, during which they locked her up at a police station and later released her on bail. Olalere claimed she was then taken to another vehicle and subjected to the cleansing ritual, where they coerced her to say she had seen the Oloolu masquerade and was bleeding as a result.

She further alleged she was forced to admit responsibility for the incident and pay N400,000 to the Oloolu family for the rites.