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The Lagos State High Court has endorsed a settlement recognizing the grievances of the Isale-Eko Descendants Union against Amazon Web Services and the producers of the controversial film Gangs of Lagos.
Following the film’s release on Amazon Prime Video, there was an outrage among members of the Isale-Eko community, who claimed it misrepresented the revered Eyo Festival and painted their people in a negative light. The legal battle, filed under Suit No: LD/6903GCM/2023, saw the unipn challenge the portrayal of the Eyo Masquerade and their community’s cultural heritage in the movie
Presiding over the case, Honourable Justice Idowu Alakija approved the Terms of Settlement, which now stands as a judgment of the court. The ruling mandates that:
The producers of Gangs of Lagos (Respondents 3-11) must issue a public apology to the Isale-Eko Descendants Union, acknowledging that the movie erroneously misrepresented and disparaged the Eyo Masquerade and the peace-loving traditions of the Isale-Eko people.
Amazon Web Services Nigeria Limited (Respondent 12) must also issue an apology on its official letterhead, recognizing the Union’s position on the film’s misrepresentation.
Reacting to the judgment, the Chairman of the Isale-Eko Descendants Union, Adeniji Kazeem SAN, hailed the ruling as a significant step towards safeguarding indigenous cultural heritage in Nigeria.
He emphasized that the 2007 United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) explicitly states that indigenous cultures must be protected and that intellectual property rights over such traditions must not be exploited without consent
Kazeem expressed gratitude to the Lagos State Judiciary, the Attorney General’s office, and Lagosians who supported the cause. He further called for stricter film censorship regulations at both the national and state levels to prevent similar incidents in the future.
The Isale-Eko Descendants Union has urged state and national censors to be more vigilant in approving films that depict Nigerian culture, especially those released on digital platforms accessible worldwide.
Prime Video has not responded to Netng’s request for comments at this time.
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