A moment of curiosity turned into days of distress for an Ibadan woman identified as Wasilat, who was said to have experienced persistent bleeding after recording Oloolu masquerades during a cultural procession in the Oremeji area of Ibadan, Oyo State.
The young woman was alleged to have recorded the masquerade, which women are traditionally prohibited from seeing, despite warnings issued by the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rasidi Adewolu Ladoja, cautioning residents against taking pictures, filming or recording during the procession held between July 27 and 30.
The monarch had also reiterated that, according to tradition, women were not permitted to see the masquerade and urged residents to respect the customs and regulations guiding the annual procession.
According to sources familiar with the incident, Wasilat, believed to be in her early 20s, allegedly violated the tradition after disguising herself as a man to secretly record the Oloolu masquerade and later shared the video on her TikTok page.
The action was said to have been followed by health complications, with the woman approaching security operatives in the state and linking her condition to the recording of the masquerade procession.
A community source said the police later accompanied Wasilat and her family members to the Oloolu compound, where traditional rites were performed as part of efforts to address her condition.
In a video obtained on Monday, the young woman was seen moving around the Ogun shrine within the Oloolu compound while carrying a goat on her shoulder.
Another video showed her being shaved with a razor blade by her mother while wearing a necklace made from five snail shells and a red wrapper, with the source describing the act as part of the traditional rites performed on her.
The source further claimed that the woman was bathed with the blood of a goat as a sacrifice to appease the Oloolu masquerade after allegedly treating a sacred tradition as online content.
However, contrary to reports circulating that Wasilat had died after her condition worsened, the source said she was alive, recovering and had been reunited with her family.
“This morning, we were at Oloolu’s compound, and they informed us that the lady is alive,” the source said.
The Oloolu masquerade is an age-long cultural institution in Ibadanland, regarded by traditionalists as a sacred symbol of the city’s heritage.
The annual procession is governed by traditional rules, which include prohibiting women from seeing the masquerade and restricting residents and visitors from taking photographs, making videos or recording the event without permission.