The Lagos High Court on Wednesday approved the settlement terms between the Isale Eko Descendants Union and Amazon Web Services, alongside 11 other defendants, over the controversial portrayal of the Eyo Masquerade in the film Gangs of Lagos.
Justice Idowu Alakija endorsed the settlement, which resolves the dispute and mandates formal apologies from the defendants to the Isale Eko Descendants Union.
Directed by Jade Osiberu, Gangs of Lagos, which features an Eyo Masquerade as a gun-wielding villain, was released to mixed reviews on Amazon Prime in April 2023.
It stars Tobi Bakre, Adesua Etomi, Iyabo Ojo, Chioma Akpotha, Bimbo Ademoye, Yvonne Jegede and Yinka Quadri among others.
Joining the Isale Eko Descendants Union as applicants in the lawsuit against producers and distributors of the film were Chief Ayodele Bajulaiye and Chief Abdul-Waheed Ayeni.
Attorney General of Lagos State, Lagos State Film & Video Censors Board, Jadesola Osiberu, Kemi Lala Akindoju, Adesegun Adetoro, Demi Olubanwo, Olumide Soyombo, Bankole Wellington (Banky W), Adesua Etomi-Wellington, Fola Aina, Greoh Limited and Amazon Web Services Nigeria Limited were listed as 1st to 12th respondents respectively.
The judgement of the Lagos High Court provides among others that the 3rd to 11th respondents should issue a letter recognising that Gangs of Lagos misrepresented and disparaged the cultural heritage of the Eyo Masquerade and the traditions of the Isale-Eko community.
Amazon Web Services Nigeria Limited should also issue a letter on its official letterhead, acknowledging the same misrepresentation and apologising to the Isale Eko Descendants Union.
Chairman of the Isale Eko Descendants Union Adeniji Kazeem SAN hailed the judgment as a victory for cultural preservation and indigenous rights.
“This is a great day for the Isale-Eko community and all Lagosians,” Kazeem said in a statement. He cited the 2007 United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), which emphasises the protection of indigenous cultures and intellectual property.
The union also called for stricter oversight of films by national and state censors boards to prevent cultural misrepresentation.
“There is a strong imperative for Lagos State to revisit its constitutional rights to oversee the production and censorship of films utilizing its cultural materials and resources,” Kazeem added.
