A young Nigerian woman, Wasila Wasiu, who was widely reported on social media to have died after allegedly filming the revered Olóòlù masquerade in Ibadan, has publicly denied the claims, insisting that she is alive and never recorded the traditional figure. Wasila, alongside her mother, Mrs Sekinat Wasiu, dismissed the viral reports in separate interviews, saying the controversy stemmed from misinformation about a video she uploaded on TikTok.
Wasila's Mother Clarifies the Incident
Mrs Wasiu explained that her daughter neither dressed like a man nor followed the Olóòlù masquerade during its procession, contrary to claims circulating online, Tribune reported. She noted that the masquerade had already passed through the area before Wasila recorded a short video showing only the remaining crowd.
According to her, the clip was intended to inform Wasila's TikTok followers that the procession had moved on. "My daughter merely posted a video of the few people left after the crowd had dispersed, informing her TikTok followers that they had left our area," Mrs Wasiu said. "She did not film the Olóòlù masquerade. However, some adherents accused her of recording them and came to arrest her because she uploaded the video on TikTok."
Arrest and Traditional Rites
Mrs Wasiu said her daughter was arrested on Friday over the allegation but released the following day. She added that Wasila was later taken to Ode Aje, where traditional appeasement rites were performed following the incident. She said she shaved her daughter's hair as part of the rites and dismissed online claims that the young woman had died.
Speaking during the interview, Wasila also addressed the rumour directly. "I thank God that I am alive," she said. She explained that she had been upstairs at a nearby shop when the procession passed and only saw Amotekun vehicles and members of the public. "The Olóòlù masquerade was not even among the crowd I saw," she said, adding that the video captured only security vehicles and the crowd.
Why Did the Death Rumour Spread?
Wasila said she deleted the video after some TikTok users advised her to do so, but some Olóòlù adherents later came to her shop over the post. She added that although she was taken into police custody, officers neither assaulted nor threatened her. The controversy gained traction after social media posts claimed she had secretly filmed the sacred masquerade and later died despite efforts by her family to perform traditional appeasement rites.
However, Wasila's public appearance alongside her mother has now contradicted the viral claims, with both insisting she never filmed the Olóòlù masquerade and that reports of her death are entirely false.
Related Incident: Masquerade Killing Investigation
In a related development, the Oyo State Police Command has launched an investigation into the killing of a 24-year-old man, Sefiu Kehinde, who was allegedly attacked by a masquerade and his followers during a procession in the Labiran area of Ibadan. Police said the incident was reported at the Mapo Divisional Police Headquarters on Sunday by a woman identified as Mrs. Aderemi.
