Thursday, March 13, 2025 - A Lagos high court has approved a settlement between the Isale Eko Descendants’ Union (IDU) and the producers of Gangs of Lagos over the controversial depiction of the Eyo Masquerade.
The film, directed by Jade Osiberu and produced by Kemi Lala Akindoju,
was released on Amazon’s Prime Video on April 7, 2023, and drew significant
backlash for portraying Isale Eko as a criminal hub and the Eyo Masquerade as a
murderous gang.
In response, the IDU took legal action seeking N10 billion in damages
from Amazon and the filmmakers. On February 20, Judge Idowu Alakija ruled that
the parties had agreed to settle the matter amicably. The court order requires
the filmmakers and Amazon to issue formal apologies for “erroneously portraying
and disparaging the cultural heritage” of the Eyo Masquerade and Isale Eko. In
exchange, the IDU and its affiliated chieftaincy families have agreed to
withdraw all claims and legal actions, and to refrain from pursuing further
lawsuits related to the film.
“The Parties agree that this Term of Settlement is binding, and the
applicants shall not further commence, file, maintain, continue, pursue, or
prosecute against the respondents, any complaint, claims, suit, arbitration, or
other administrative or proceedings of any kind based upon or related to the
subject matter,” the court documents read in part.
Reacting to the decision, Adeniji Kazeem, chairman of the Isale Eko
Descendants’ Union, said the community “feels vindicated by this judgement.” He
also urged national and state film censors to be more vigilant in reviewing
films that use cultural material. “Furthermore, we assert that there are strong
imperatives for Lagos state to revisit its constitutional rights to properly
oversee the production and censorship of films utilizing its cultural material
and resources,” he said.
0 Comments