Eniola Akinkuotu, a journalist with The Africa Report, has criticised the traditional ruler of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu, for his recent comment on a trending movie.
Oba Akiolu had asked the producers of a movie, Gangs of Lagos, and Amazon Prime Video, the video streaming platform it is on, to immediately remove the image and manifestation of the Eyo masquerade in the film.
In the movie, gunmen disguised as Eyo Masquerades opened fire on their rivals in a gang war.
The monarch said the movie’s depiction of the masquerades is blasphemous to Lagos’s cultural heritage rights.
The movie producers and the owners of the streaming platform are yet to respond to Oba’s demands.
But, Akinkuotu, a former Editor in the Punch newspaper, said the Oba is overrating himself by issuing such orders.
His words:
“Oba of Lagos probably thinks Nigeria is still in the middle ages, where monarchs issue edicts, and the people tremble. This is 2023, sir.
“Even the Queen of England could not stop “Crown” from showing on Netflix. What powers do traditional rulers have under Nigeria’s constitution? Zero.”
Gangs of Lagos is a Nigerian gangster crime thriller film produced and directed by Jade Osiberu.
Big Brother Nigeria reality star Tobi Bakre and famous Nigerian actresses; Adesua Etomi, Iyabo Ojo, and Chioma Akpotha were among the big names in the movie.
It tells a compelling tale of personal dreams and ambitions getting pushback from the power centres and the cyclical violence of the city’s gangs.
