“Gangs of Lagos” and The Eyo Masquerade Brouhaha

In Gangs of Lagos, the Eyo masquerade, which is one of the many cultural emblems of Lagos, is captured. At the start of the movie, during an Eyo procession, the voiceover describes the mystical figures as “guards of the highway of the dead” but also calls them “the first gang in Lagos” and “our most beloved Orisa”. Fair enough, it seems, the movie has acknowledged the institution as a sacred one with historical backup. Then, a gunman disguised in an Eyo regalia enters the home of another man and shoots him dead. Later in the film, during a feast, the Eyo masqueraders enter the hall, unveil themselves as armed men and start shooting sporadically as people scamper for safety.

Following the release of the film, issues have been raised regarding how the image of the Eyo is represented. While some consider it sacrilegious and distasteful to the sensibility of the indigenes of the state, others have waved off the criticisms on the basis that the film was just an artistic representation that should not be taken too seriously. The most vocal criticism, however, has come from the Isale Eko Descendants’ Union (IDU).

In a press statement issued on April 12 and signed by the chairman Yomi Tokosi, the Union called out the producers of the film and Amazon Prime Video for its “defamation of Isale Eko and the Eyo masquerade”.

The statement first identified the names of the filmmakers and executive producers and accused them of projecting “very disturbing, violent images” in Gangs of Lagos. It recognized the Eyo masquerade for being indigenous to the Isale Eko people of the state but decried the move of the filmmakers to subject the hallowed authority of the masquerade to “a camouflage, decoy and subterfuge for murderers and gangsters” operating in the region. While the statement did not appear to disprove the existence of gangsterism in the region, it judged the movie’s interpretation of the gang culture as a gross exaggeration.

The statement dated the rich history of the Eyo to 1854 and recognised the Eyo for being part of the “unique cultural heritage of the Isale Eko community”. While posing as a disclaimer, the piece made a call to action for the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) to “withdraw the approval granted to the movie and direct the withdrawal of the movie from all viewing channels available to the public”. Ultimately, the IDU claimed it would consider seeking redress by exploring legal possibilities against the defamation of the Eyo masquerade and the tradition of the Isale Eko people.

Also reacting to the representation of the Eyo masquerade in the movie is the Lagos State Government’s Ministry of Tourism, Arts & Culture which, through a statement signed by the Commissioner, Uzamat Akinbile-Yussuf, considered the movie “unprofessional and misleading while its content is derogatory of our culture”.

Festivals and ritual practices are treated as part of Yoruba traditional religion.  Likewise, the Eyo festival, also known as the Adamu Orisha play. So much is the dignity accorded to this festival by the inhabitants of the community that it is forbidden for any other masquerade to be out in the region when the performance is ongoing. Different accounts, however, exist as to how the Eyo masquerade evolved and became institutionalized in Lagos. Due to the lack of reliable graphic documentation, its actual origins have become obscure and difficult to pin down to a specific place.  One account holds that the festival was started in Ipokia local government in Ogun state. According to Fosudo and Babatope, regarding the Ipokia origin theory, a Lagos king had gotten married to a woman from Ipokia whose brothers insisted on the masquerades accompanying their sister to her husband’s house as part of her marital rites. Ever since then, the festival was drafted into the tradition of the Eko people.   

Another theory cites its root in Iperu, a town in the Remo part of Ijebuland of Ogun state, from which it is said to have been exported. A third anecdotal account, with perhaps some oral precision, holds that the Eyo Adamu Orisha play could be linked to the plight of one Olugbani (or “Olufaderi”), a native of Ibefun village in Ijebu, who, owing to her childlessness, sought the attention of Ifa. Ifa , then, divined that she should leave the town for Lagos where her childbearing prospects lay. Settling in Lagos, Olugbani married the king at the time, Oba Ado of Lagos. Oba Ado’s reign is set around 1630 and Olugbani is often cited as his first wife.

Folklore includes stories, festivals, myths and other cultural beliefs of a particular community. Sections 74 – 76 of the Nigerian Copyright Act of 2022 already guards folklore against reproduction, adaptations and commercialisations, with exceptions to cases of “fair dealing for private and domestic use”, “utilization for purposes of education”, use for illustration in an original work, “borrowing of expressions”, and “incidental utilization”. Henry Ezikeoha, an Intellectual Property and Entertainment Lawyer, has reacted to the IDU threat of legal action against the filmmakers of Gangs of Lagos:

The new copyright act of 2022 by virtue of Sections 74-76 protects expressions of culture under the term “folklore” which covers tradition-based creations of groups or individuals. It further states that for one to use an expression of folklore, certain conditions have to be met e.g. stating the source of the work (giving credit), getting permission from Nigerian Copyright Commission, etc.  If a person, business or legal entity feels a movie has portrayed them in bad light capable of causing public hate, ridicule, etc., then the injured party can sue on grounds of defamation. For you to succeed in case of defamation, certain elements ought to be present e.g. if the words were written or printed, if the material referred to the injured party, etc. Also, he who asserts must prove. So the injured party will have to further convince the court how it has suffered on account of the actions of the other party (the defendant).

The Eyo masquerade falls within the purview of “folklore”, and that makes any guided suspicion of folkloric compromise brought against the filmmakers actionable at first. However, in the current digital age, the regulation of online content in Nigeria is still a cause for concern. While the NFVCB may grant authorization to filmmakers, the Board’s powers are limited with regard to control of online distribution channels and streaming platforms. The Executive Director and CEO of the Board, Alhaji Adedayo Thomas, recently responded to the IDU petition that it would be impossible for the board to take any action against the movie at the moment. He suggested that it was not within the purview of the NFVCB to control activities on online platforms. “We have a bill before the National Assembly seeking to empower the Board to regulate online platforms and any other platforms where movies are exhibited. The online platform is difficult to regulate and it’s not part of our mandate,” he stated. 

The IDU have reached a stalemate in their engagement with the NFVCB. Perhaps, if the movie was only left to the fate of the cinemas, without the streaming leverage of Amazon Prime Video, the IDU could have stood a better chance at appealing to the Board. At this stage, the aggrieved Union would have to consider other legal routes, should they still feel strongly about their case, or they may have to resort to burying the hatchet with the filmmakers.