Yoruba, traditional rulers urged to oppose new film that portrays Lagos heritage in Gangster image

By Samuel Ogunsona

Custodians of Yoruba culture and heritage have been asked to rise up against a film which distorts the heritage of Lagos and portrays the city’s culture as babaric.

The film is presently being promoted by one Jade Osiberu and another one, Kemi Akindoju.

The movie is said to be an ugly, hate filled mockery of the Lagos and Yoruba heritage.

Prince Uthman Shodipe-Dosunmu the
Apesinọla Ẹyọ Ọba Alakẹtẹ Pupa Ọkalaba Ẹkun of Lagos urged the Oba of Lagos His Majesty Rilwan Akiolu and the Lagos State Government to use their positions to stop the film.

“In their reckless , disgusting distortion of the sacred illustration of the Lagosian culture the film makers reduced the Eyo masquerade into a gun toting killing machine, clothing their misfit actors in the full regalia of the Eyo and with the Aga depicting some Conclaves” he said.

This is a total abomination. It is not only a distortion of our culture , it is a dark insidious profiling of our people as criminals and murderers rampaging across Lagos.”

He argued that the Adamu Orisha is a treasured cleansing ritual, a sacred rite performed on the passage of an Oba or for their coronation adding that it is also used to honor distinguished Lagosians as their final rite of transition.

“Since Ejilu and Malakin , the brothers of Olori Olugbani first initiated the Eyo rite in celebration of Oba Ado Keme, the Adamu Orisha has become a sacred ancestral heritage celebrated with awe and deserving adoration.
It signifies a sweeping renewal, a purificational ritual to usher in a new beginning , a beckoning of new light, acknowledging the blessings of our ancestors.”

He said to use the sacred Adamu Orisha Masquerade as an object of terror and loose criminality is to savage and despoil the Lagos tradition.

“It is vile, evil, perverse; an utterly sadistic mangling of who we are as peace loving , accommodating and enlightened people.

We demand an immediate withdrawal of this sacrilegious and outrageous trash. We demand that the National Film and Video Censors Board and all appropriate authorities to ban this blatant mockery disguising as cinematography and impose the most punitive sanctions on the sponsors of this venomous ethnic profiling.”

He appealed to the Lagos state government, the Oba of Lagos Alayeluwa Oba Rilwan Akinolu, all the custodians of our tradition including the Alaworo of Adamu Orisha and Akinsiku Chief Ademola Dosunmu to rise up in protective defense of our tradition against the ravages of these agents of condemnable pollution of all that we cherish in this sacred soil of Oba Ado Keme.

“Ethnic profiling is recognized as a crime against humanity by the International Court of Justice. This provision can also be invoked against these sacrilegious hate baiters” he said