July 06, (THEWILL) – Entertainment company, Amazon, has asked the Lagos State High Court at the Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS) to dismiss the suit against ‘Gangs of Lagos’, a movie directed by Jade Osiberu.
The movie, which was released on Amazon’s Prime Video on April 7, is about the story of a group of friends forced to navigate the hardship of growing up on the streets of Lagos.
It was criticised for depicting the Isale Eko community in Lagos State as a den of criminals and the local Eyo Masquerade as a gang of murderers.
However, the producers clarified that the events in the movie are fictional.
Some Lagos indigenes under the Isale Eko Descendants Union (IDU) took legal action against the producers and Amazon. They instituted a suit seeking ₦10 billion in damages.
Responding to the lawsuit, Amazon filed a preliminary objection to the IDU lawsuit. It argued that the Lagos Government lacked the constitutional power to censor films produced within its territory.
The company also stated that the Cinematograph Law of Lagos State, 2004 is not applicable to video and film censorship in the State.
In the objection dated June 30, Amazon asked the court to dismiss the suit on the ground that the Cinematograph Law of Lagos State, 2004 was enacted outside the legislative competence of the Lagos State House of Assembly.
It also sought an order pursuant to section 25(1)(q) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, striking out the suit as the court does not have jurisdiction to entertain it.
“The appropriate law is the National Film and Video Censor Board Act, 1993, an Act of the national, which has already covered the field,” it argued.
The court, which is being presided over by Idowu Alakija, has fixed October 9, to determine Amazon’s preliminary objection to the suit filed by the IDU against the production of ‘Gangs of Lagos’.
The claimants to the IDU suit include Ayodele Bajulaiye, who sued for the Bajulaiye Chieftaincy Family and Eyo Iga Bajulaiye, and Abdul-Waheed Ayeni, a Chief who sued on behalf of the Sasore Chieftaincy Family and Eyo Iga Sasore.
The defendants include Jadesola Osiberu, Kemi Lala Akindoju, Adesegun Adetoro, Demi Olubanwo, Olumide Soyombo, Bankole Wellington, Adesua Etomi-Wellington, Kola Aina, Greoh Limited, and Amazon Web Services Nigeria.
