The Lagos State Government has condemned the promoters of the Gangs of Lagos film by describing its content as an unjust profiling of our cultural heritage.
This was contained in a statement by the state Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Uzamat Akinbile-Yussuf, on Wednesday
Akinbile-Yussuf voiced her displeasure at the Eyo Masquerade being portrayed as a villain with a gun while wearing the complete traditional attire.
According to the statement, “We are of the opinion that the production of the film ‘The Gang of Lagos’ is very unprofessional and misleading while its content is derogatory of our culture, with the intention to desecrate the revered heritage of the people of Lagos. It is an unjust profiling of a people and culture as being barbaric and nefarious. It depicts a gang of murderers rampaging across the State,”
She emphasized that the Adamu Orisha, also known as the Eyo Festival, is very occasionally observed and serves as a traditional rite of passage for revered Chiefs, prominent Lagosians, and Obas. She also said that the Eyo Masquerade is also utilized as a mark of honor for noteworthy historical events.
She asserts it represents a thorough regeneration, a ceremony of purification to bring about a fresh start, a beckoning of new light, and an acknowledgement of the bounties of Lagosians’ ancestors.
Lagos prince Uthman Shodipe-Dosunmu urged the immediate removal of the “Gangs of Lagos” in a previous response via statement.
Shodipe-Dosunmu referred to the film as an ugly, hate-filled caricature of the Lagosian history and added that it not only distorts the culture of the Lagosians but also labels them as murderers and criminals based on their ethnicity.
He urged the National Film and Video Censors Board and other appropriate authorities to outlaw the film and punish its promoters to the fullest extent possible.
