“This is the day that the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it. Thank you Lord for making me see this day.”
Those were the words written by Omoni Oboli on Instagram on Friday hours before the scheduled premiere of her risqué comedy, Okafor’s Law, in Nigeria.
The day, however, ended in heartbreak as she was served with an order of Justice I. N. Buba of the Federal High Court stopping her, Dioni Visions and Filmone Distribution from premiering the film.
It was the latest chapter in a copyright controversy that broke in September for which Omoni had maintained an undignified silence.
This is the timeline:
July 2016: Omoni shot Okafor’s Law starring herself, Richard Mofe-Damijo, Blossom Chukwujekwu, Ufuoma McDermott, Gabriel Afolayan, Toyin Aimakhu, Lala Akindoju and several others in Lagos.
August 16, 2016: The film was announced as one of the eight Nollywood productions that will be showcased in the City to City programme at the 41st Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).
September 2016, Canada-based Nigerian writer and filmmaker, Jude Idada, accused Omoni of stealing his story to make the movie but said he would not stop the screening at TIFF so as not to tarnish Nigeria’s image.
September 12, 2016: Okafor’s Law was premiered at TIFF to a positive reception.
November 10, 2016: Okafor’s Law was screened at Stockholm International Film Festival.
February 14, 2017: Okafor’s Law was screened at the Pan African Film Festival in Los Angeles.
March 20, 2017: Idada’s Ranconteur Productions Limited filed a motion at the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos seeking – among others – an order stopping the Nigerian premiere of Okafor’s Law.
March 24, 2017: Omoni served with an injunction stopping the Nigerian premiere one hour to event kickoff, forcing her to tearfully tell the audience already seated at Filmhouse Cinema, Lekki that the show could not go on.
