Lagos High Court approved settlement between Isale Eko Descendants Union (IDU) and producers Gangs in Lagos In a controversial description of the Eyo Masquerade.
Directed by Jade Osiberu and produced by Kemi Lala Akindoju, the film was released on Amazon’s Prime video on April 7, 2023 and caused a huge rebound to portray Isale Eko as a crime hub, while Eyo Masgerade portrayed it as a murderous gang.
In response, IDU took legal action to demand R10 billion from Amazon and film producers. On February 20, Judge Idowu Alakija ruled that the two sides agreed to a friendly settlement of the issue. The court orders require filmmakers and Amazon to issue formal apology for Eyo Masquerade and Isale Eko’s “erroneously portraying and demeaning cultural heritage” and Isale Eko. In exchange, the IDU and its affiliated chief family have agreed to withdraw all claims and legal proceedings and avoid pursuing more lawsuits related to the film.
“The parties agree that the settlement terms are binding and that the applicant shall not further initiate, apply, maintain, continue, pursue, pursue or prosecute the respondent, any complaint, claim, litigation, arbitration, arbitration or other administrative or litigation proceedings based on or with the subject.”
Adeniji Kazeem, president of the Isale Eko Descendants Alliance, responded to the decision, saying the community “feels proven by this judgment.” He also urged national and state film examiners to be more alert to films using cultural materials. “In addition, we assert that the state of Lagos must revisit its constitutional rights to properly monitor the production and censorship of films, utilizing its cultural resources and resources for review,” he said.
