Tobias Sylvester
Lagos State Government has condemned a new Nollywood movie “Gangs of Lagos” over cultural misrepresentation.
The Gangs of Lagos film which premiered on Amazon Prime Video on April 7, 2023, 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, the state’s Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mrs. Uzamat Akinbile-Yussuf said the movie is a mockery of the Heritage of Lagos.
The commissioner expressed her disappointment with the promoters of the film, Jade Osiberu and Kemi Akindoju, for portraying the Eyo Masquerade as a gun-wielding villain while adorning the full traditional regalia.
Akinbile-Yussuf said, “We are of the opinion that the production of the film ‘The Gang 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”.
She maintained that “the Adamu Orisha, popularly known as the Eyo Festival, is rarely observed and only comes up as a traditional rite of passage for Obas, revered Chiefs and eminent Lagosians.”
Akinbile-Yussuf, stressed that “the Eyo Masquerade is equally used as a symbol of honour for remarkable historical events.
“It signifies a sweeping renewal, a purification ritual to usher in a new beginning, a beckoning of new light, acknowledging the blessings of the ancestors of Lagosians.”
KanyiDaily recalls that the House of Representatives had also accused the Nigerian movie industry and the media of promoting ritual killings in the country.
