A young woman identified as Wasilat has become the subject of widespread discussion after allegedly recording people following the revered Oloolu masquerade during its annual festival in Ibadan, Oyo State.
The incident reportedly occurred last Thursday in the Oremeji area and has renewed debate about Yoruba traditional practices, personal rights and the long-standing restriction against women seeing the Oloolu Egungun.
According to accounts circulating online, Wasilat discreetly recorded the procession and later uploaded the footage to social media. She was subsequently reported to have experienced health challenges, which she allegedly linked to the incident.
On Friday, the young woman reportedly approached security personnel for assistance. Police officers later escorted her and members of her family to the Oloolu compound, where traditional custodians performed rites that they said were intended to address the situation.
A video from the compound showed Wasilat moving around an Ogun shrine as part of the ceremony. Some reports also alleged that her mother’s hair was shaved during the process, although the exact details surrounding the rites have not been independently confirmed.
Ibadan-based content creator and documentary photographer Ayo Adams later visited the Oloolu compound and said officials there confirmed that Wasilat was alive and recovering.
“This morning, we were at Oloolu’s compound, and they informed us that the lady is alive,” Adams wrote on X.
He added that the compound’s secretary said the young woman had reunited with her family and was recuperating.
Ahead of the four-day festival, held from July 27 to July 30, the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja, had reportedly warned residents about restrictions surrounding the traditional event.
The palace reminded the public that, under the custom associated with Oloolu, women are forbidden from seeing or crossing paths with the masquerade, while photography and video recording are also prohibited.
Some traditional sources claimed Wasilat may have mistaken Alawo, a figure linked to the Oloolu tradition, for the main masquerade. Others maintained that she recorded only the crowd and did not film the masquerade itself.
The incident has attracted mixed reactions online. While traditionalists argued that established customs should be respected, other commentators questioned aspects of the reported intervention and called for clearer limits between cultural observance and individual rights.
Wasilat is said to be recovering, although the precise cause of her reported illness and the extent of the traditional intervention have not been independently verified.
Watch the related videos below…
Ibadan Lady Who Recorded Oloolu Crowd Undergoes Traditional Rites After Health Scare pic.twitter.com/AssAt8k7B4
— The NaijaWide News (@thenaijawide) August 3, 2026
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