LAGOS, Nigeria – The Lagos State Government has come under fire after accusing the makers of the movie ‘Gangs of Lagos’ of cultural misrepresentation and making a mockery of the heritage of Lagos.
In a statement posted on the state government’s official website, the commissioner for Tourism, Arts, and Culture, Uzamat Akinbile-Yussuf expressed her disappointment with the movie’s portrayal of the Eyo Masquerade as a gun-wielding villain.
“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,” said Akinbile-Yussuf.
“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.”
However, the statement has been met with widespread condemnation on Twitter, with many accusing the Lagos State Government of censorship and stifling artistic expression. Nigerian filmmaker Jade Osiberu, who co-produced the movie, took to Twitter to defend the film.
“One of the things I love about the way people are responding to the film is the excitement about the world… our version of Isale-Eko is evidently fictional, with Eleniyan, Alaye-BamBam, Ekuru/Alaye (almost being a rank greeting) & the rules of world around loyalty and honour,” Osiberu tweeted.
One of the things I love about the way people are responding to the film is the excitement about the world… our version of Isale-Eko is evidently fictional, with Eleniyan, Alaye-BamBam, Ekuru/Alaye (almost being a rank greeting) & the rules of world around loyalty and honor https://t.co/qZ4iGrnFLp
— Jade Osiberu (@jadeosiberu) April 14, 2023
Many Nigerians on Twitter also expressed their support for the filmmakers, with some calling on the Lagos State Government to focus on more pressing issues, such as security and infrastructure.
“This is censorship, plain and simple. The Lagos State Government should be focusing on fixing the issues faced by its citizens instead of trying to silence creative voices,” tweeted one user.
Others pointed out that the Eyo Masquerade has been used in several Nollywood movies without any backlash from the Lagos State Government.
“The Eyo Masquerade has been featured in numerous Nollywood movies without any problem. Why is the Lagos State Government singling out ‘Gangs of Lagos’?” tweeted another user.
As of now, the makers of ‘Gangs of Lagos’ have not issued any official statement in response to the accusations made by the Lagos State Government.
