Culture

Isale Eko descendants union celebrates court victory over ‘Gangs of Lagos’ movie

Published

1 year ago

March 13, 2025

Isale Eko Descendants Union court ruling

The Isale Eko Descendants Union has expressed satisfaction with a Lagos court ruling ordering the producers of ‘Gangs of Lagos’ to apologise for misrepresenting the Eyo masquerade

The Isale Eko Descendants Union (IDU) has welcomed the recent court ruling that mandates the producers of the controversial film *Gangs of Lagos* to issue an apology for misrepresenting the Eyo masquerade.

Also read: Court rules in favour of Isale-Eko community on intellectual property rights over “Gangs of Lagos” film

The Lagos High Court approved a settlement between the IDU and the movie’s producers, marking a significant victory for the union and a protection of indigenous cultural heritage.

Directed by Jade Osiberu and produced by Kemi Lala Akindoju, *Gangs of Lagos* was released on April 7, 2023, on Amazon Prime Video. The film quickly garnered backlash for its portrayal of Isale Eko, depicting it as a den of criminals and the Eyo masquerade as a gang of murderers.

The portrayal was seen as a defamatory attack on the cultural heritage and reputation of the Isale Eko people, leading the union to take legal action.

In the lawsuit, the IDU sought N10bn in damages against both the producers of the film and Amazon. The court ruling, delivered on February 20, 2025, confirmed that the parties had agreed to an amicable settlement.

Justice Idowu Alakija, presiding over the case, ordered that the 3rd to 11th respondents, including the film’s producers, issue a joint letter acknowledging the film’s wrongful portrayal of the Eyo masquerade and Isale Eko’s traditions.

The apology, according to the ruling, must recognise the cultural significance of the Eyo masquerade and the peaceful nature of Isale Eko’s people, offering an unreserved apology to the IDU.

Additionally, Amazon Web Services Nigeria Limited, listed as the 12th respondent, was ordered to issue a formal apology recognising the same points on its official letterhead.

This court ruling effectively requires both the filmmakers and Amazon to publicly admit their error in how the film depicted the community and its cultural heritage.

The Isale Eko Descendants Union expressed satisfaction with the judgment, viewing it as a crucial step in safeguarding Nigeria’s indigenous cultures.

“We feel vindicated by this judgment and thank the court system and the Lagos State Attorney General’s office for their role in resolving this dispute,” said Adeniji Kazeem (SAN), Chairman of the IDU, in a statement on Wednesday.

However, Kazeem also called on the national and state film censors to be more diligent in reviewing films that may misrepresent Nigerian cultures, urging greater scrutiny to prevent similar issues in the future.

The ruling is considered a significant milestone for the protection of cultural heritage in Nigeria, setting a precedent for how cultural misrepresentations in films should be addressed legally.

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Culture

WAKE UP! Art Exhibition Returns for a Second Act

Published

2 weeks ago

August 27, 2026

Mariam Balogun

The contemporary art and photography exhibition “Wake Up!” is back again for a second edition.

Curated by Awele Onwordi, Wake Up! 2 exhibition pays homage to the Nigerian youth and burgeoning street culture which many of its contributing artists reference in their works.

Also read: Five rising stars battle for 2026 Headies Next Rated

Titled “Young, Wild, Free”, the exhibition celebrates the creativity, resilience, freedom and cultural influence found in Nigerian youth.

Taking aim at societal issues and economic concerns, the exhibit reflects the youth and their refusal to compromise or bow despite all the challenges stacked against them while charting youth culture through art, music, fashion, skateboarding, photography and community.

The exhibition will be held, once again, at the Angel and Muse Gallery at 25 Sumbo Jibowu street off Ribadu Road off Awolowo Road in Ikoyi.

It will open on Saturday 5 September 2026 and will run until 11 September 2026
This second edition which focuses on celebrating, nurturing and exploring artistic practices rooted in youth and street culture will feature works from DENCITY and SUPERGLIDER HOUSE.

Exhibiting artists include Ajilore Kehinde – their work is deeply influenced by Nigerian street culture and works of other artists like Slawn, Peters Ejiro, etc, Chuka Onwordi – graphic designer who embodies themes of death, melancholy and beauty in his works, ZIDYEP – Abuja based creative whose works move between digital and physical spaces through art, graphic design and air brushing , Franklyn Okoye – graphic designer and artist whose works explore themes of identity and hyper-reality, Awele Onwordi – founder & curator of WAKE UP and multidisciplinary artist whose practice spans character art, creative logo design, album covers and more , Oluchi Kogolo – digital illustrator whose work explores street culture, personality and storytelling through a raw and playful visual style and Kozetuo Apeji – multidisciplinary artists who work explores experimental approaches to problem solving through both digital and traditional art forms.

Commenting on the exhibition in her curatorial statement, Awele noted that “despite economic instability, limited opportunities and socio-political challenges, Nigerian youth continue to shape culture through music, fashion, art, skateboarding, raves, photography and community.”

Also read: Five rising stars battle for 2026 Headies Next Rated

Continuing and harping on the raison d’etre of the exhibition she said, “Young, Wild and Free exists to celebrate Nigerian youth while also creating a platform that supports and amplifies them.”