The Lagos State Government has issued a strongly-worded rebuke against ‘Gangs of Lagos’, a new Nollywood film that started streaming on Prime Video on April 7, 2023.
The Jade Osiberu film follows the lives of three friends who grow up in a crime-ridden Isale Eko in Lagos and are drawn into gang life.
In a statement on Wednesday, April 12, the state’s Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Uzamat Akinbile-Yussuf, condemned the film for misrepresenting the culture of the state.
She further rebuked the producers for portraying the revered Eyo masquerade as a gun-wielding villain.
“We are of the opinion that the production of the film ‘Gangs of Lagos’ is very unprofessional and misleading while its content is derogatory of our culture, with the intention to desecrate the revered heritage of the people of Lagos.
“It is an unjust profiling of a people and culture as being barbaric and nefarious. It depicts a gang of murderers rampaging across the state.”
The government released the statement hours after the Isale Eko Descendants’ Union (IDU) similarly expressed discontent with the portrayal of the Eyo masquerade. The masquerade performs during festivals and other important events and is believed to represent the spirits of the ancestors.
The IDU lodged a complaint with the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) demanding the withdrawal of the approval granted to the film. The cultural group also demanded the film be withdrawn from all viewing channels.
“The IDU and other community stakeholders will also be considering legal action for the damage done to the culture, tradition and image of the Isale Eko community and the Eyo masquerade,” the group said.
Gangs of Lagos is the first African Original for Prime Video and part of Osiberu’s three-year overall deal with the streaming platform.
