March 12, 2025
By Ayinde Adeleke
The Lagos High Court has ordered the producers of the movie “Gangs of Lagos” and Amazon Prime Video to tender an unreserved apology to the Isale Eko Descendants Union for misrepresenting the Eyo Masquerade and Isale Eko people in the movie.
The court’s decision comes after a two-year lawsuit filed by the Isale Eko Descendants Union, which alleged that the movie portrayed the Eyo Masquerade as a gang of murderers and Isale Eko as a den of criminals.
According to the terms of settlement, the producers and Amazon Prime agreed to apologize for desecrating an aspect of Lagos culture.
Amazon will also issue a letter recognizing the union’s position that the movie erroneously portrayed the cultural heritage of the Eyo Masquerade and the Isale-Eko people.
Adeniji Kazeem SAN, Chairman of the Isale-Eko Descendants Union, confirmed the terms of settlement, stating, “Today is a great day for the Isale-Eko Community of Lagos State, All indigenous Communities of Lagos, and Lagosians generally.”
He emphasized the importance of protecting cultural rights, citing the 2007 United Nations Declaration on the rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), which states that the culture of indigenous people must be protected and that indigenous people have intellectual property rights in their culture.
The lawsuit was filed at the Lagos High Court, which granted the union’s request for a judicial review.
The court’s endorsement of the terms of settlement marks a significant victory for the Isale Eko people and a recognition of the importance of respecting cultural heritage.
As part of the settlement, the producers and Amazon Prime will jointly issue a letter acknowledging that “Gangs of Lagos” misrepresented and disrespected the cultural heritage of the Eyo Masquerade and the peace-loving traditions of the Isale Eko people.
They will also extend an unreserved apology.
This apology is seen as a significant step towards recognizing the importance of cultural sensitivity and respect for indigenous communities.
