For the primary time because the manufacturing of ‘Gangs of Lagos’ 4 months ago, the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Aremu Akiolu has defined the film as defamatory and sacrilegious for depicting the Eyo as crook gangs that dedicate gruesome homicide and go to terror on harmless citizens.
The monarch has consequently requested Amazon Web Service, Greoh Studios, and the movie manufacturers “to right away remove, end from the usage of the photo getup and manifestation of the Eyo withinside the Gangs of Lagos.”
He raised grave worries approximately the movie in a three-web page letter he addressed to the control of Amazon Prime Nigeria and Greoh Limited on June 28, list 4 situations that the manufacturers and promoters need to meet inside 14 days.
Since its professional launch on April 7, Gangs of Lagos has been a topic of controversy many of the indigenous human beings of Lagos State with the Isale Eko Descendants Union claiming that the movie depicted Isale Eko as a den of criminals and Eyo masquerade as a gang of murderers.
The descendants of Isale Eko had similarly instituted a fit looking for N10 billion damages in opposition to Amazon and different manufacturers over what they defined as large reputational harm the Gangs of Lagos inflicted at the Eyo logo.
In his letter copied the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Oba Akiolu claimed that the unlawful illustration of the Eyo has brought on large reputational harm to the Eyo logo via way of means of the defamatory film which portrayed the emblem as an tool of terror, mayhem, and homicide.
On the worldwide stage, the monarch claimed that ability vacationers and traffic to Lagos are possibly to impeach the authenticity of the Eyo as a real cultural occasion deserving of admire and reverence.
He similarly claimed that the movie manufacturers had used the entire getup, indistinguishable photo, and historically designed and ordained look of the Eyo which bureaucracy a part of the cultural historical past of the indigenous human beings of Lagos, for business benefit and exploitation with out permission or due connection with the workplace of the Oba of Lagos.
“I am the custodian and very last authority of the Adimu Orisa and its manifestation the Eyo. These conventional rites are the tangible and intangible assets of the indigenes of Lagos and those are their package deal of rights of our highbrow belongings in our cultural history.
“This cultural historical past is the legacy of bodily artifacts and intangible attributes, which have been inherited from beyond generations over hundred years ago, maintained withinside the gift via way of means of the Oba of Lagos, and bestowed for the advantage of destiny generations.
“These traditions explicit our manner of existence and thought. They are evidence of our highbrow and religious achievements. They have to now no longer be used with out the indigenous owners’ explicit permission or desecrated in any manner whatsoever,” the monarch wrote.
The monarch alleged that the movie grossly violated the rights of the indigenous human beings of Lagos opposite to the provisions of the United Nations Declaration at the Rights of Indigenous Peoples 2007.
Oba Akiolu argued that the assertion protects “our indigenous proper to instruction and revitalise our cultural traditions and customs.
“This consists of the proper to maintain, defend and expand the beyond, gift and destiny manifestations of our cultures, such as artifacts, designs, ceremonies, technologies, and visible and acting arts and literature.”
On those grounds, the monarch demanded that the continuing use and depiction of the Eyo on this movie and its apparent violation of our indigenous highbrow belongings rights as nicely as, on the identical time defaming our sacred rites, ought to forestall forthwith.
As a part of peace situations, the monarch directed the movie manufacturers “to without delay remove, stop from the usage of the photo rise up and manifestation of the Adimu Orisa – the Eyo – your movie Gangs of Lagos.”
He additionally requested the movie manufacturers to put up inside 14 days a suggestion for consideration – for the restitution of the sanctity of the Eyo logo.
The monarch additionally requested the movie manufacturers “to offer inside 14 days a compensatory idea for the infringement of our highbrow belongings rights in our cultural history that you have commercially exploited with out licence.”
The monarch ultimately demanded that the manufacturers of Gangs of Lagos need to publish inside 14 days a draft of an as it should be worded apology to the Oba of Lagos and the indigenous humans of Lagos.
