TikToker Wasilat Olalere, whose viral video allegedly showing the popular Ibadan-based Oloolu masquerade caused controversy last week, has claimed she was forced to falsely say she fell ill after recording the revered traditional figure.
Speaking in an interview with an Islamic cleric in Ibadan in a video that began trending on Wednesday, Olalere said she neither saw the Oloolu masquerade nor suffered any strange illness, contrary to claims made in a widely shared video recorded after her release.
She explained that she only filmed Amotekun vehicles and residents waiting for the annual outing before posting the clip on TikTok. “I recorded Amotekun vehicles that were parked and people who were in front of our house waiting for Oloolu masquerade. I just captioned the video that Oloolu was around Atolu and that people should watch their movement so as not to come in contact with him.
“When I posted the video, people started reaching out to me that I should pull it down. I did immediately. I didn’t know that many had saved it.”
Olalere alleged that members of the Oloolu traditional institution, known as Sokoti, later stormed her shop, threatened her and took her away. “They said Olubadan had requested that I come. They said I would go to jail. I was begging them endlessly. I was bailed out on Saturday. As soon as I got bailed out, they took me… saying we were going to Ode Aje to perform some traditional rites for me.”
She claimed her family was made to buy items for the rites before she underwent a cleansing ceremony and was forced to record a video claiming she became ill after seeing Oloolu. She also alleged her husband paid N400,000.
