April 12, (THEWILL) – A Lagos prince, Uthman Shodipe-Dosunmu, the Apesinọla Ẹyọ Ọba Alakẹtẹ Pupa Ọkalaba Ẹkun of Lagos, has demanded the immediate withdrawal of the movie, ‘Gangs of Lagos.’
The movie, which is presently being promoted by movie producer, Jade Osiberu and actress, Kemi Akindoju, described the Eyo masquerade as the first gangs of Lagos.
Shodipe-Dosunmu described the movie as an ugly, hate-filled mockery of Lagosian heritage, adding that it is not only a distortion of Lagosian culture but ethnic profiling of the people as criminals and murderers.
He, therefore, called on the National Film and Video Censors Board and all appropriate authorities to ban the movie and impose the most punitive sanctions on its promoters.
Shodipe-Dosunmu noted that the Adamu Orisha is a treasured cleansing ritual, a sacred rite performed on the passage of an Oba or for their coronation and used to honour distinguished Lagosians as their final rite of transition.
According to him, 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.
He averred that the Eyo rite signifies a sweeping renewal, a purification ritual to usher in a new beginning, a beckoning of new light, acknowledging the blessings of the People’s ancestors.
“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.
“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,” Shodipe-Dosunmu said.
“To use the sacred Adamu Orisha Masquerade as an object of terror and loose criminality is to savage and despoil the Lagosian 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 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, Oba Rilwan Akinolu, and all the custodians of the tradition of Lagos to rise in defence of the people’s culture and tradition.
“We also appeal 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 rouse up in protective defence 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 recognised as a crime against humanity by the International Court of Justice. This provision can also be invoked against these sacrilegious hate baiters,” Shodipe-Dosunmu added.
