In Nigeria, it has already been more than three months since the federal government asked the Nollywood film industry to no longer broadcast scenes of ritual crimes so as not to influence the youth. Last February, the Nigerian Parliament declared that the fight against ritual killings had become a national emergency. And this, following the death of a 20-year-old woman in Ogun State in southeastern Nigeria which shocked the country.
According to authorities, some of the suspected killers who were arrested have confessed to being inspired by films. Three months later, how is this ban applied?
Stricter criteria for obtaining a film license, scrutinized scripts: since February, the Nollywood industry has come under increased scrutiny from the Censorship Commission.
Bukki Agbaminoja leads this commission in Lagos. For her, the goal is to protect young spectators. ” We look at the artistic character of the film without distorting it, what is it about and what does it reflect on society. We verify that the film contains scenes of retaliation when someone commits a ritual crime and that there are sanctions. We have a serious problem today because young people think that this kind of practice is a way to get rich quickly.
In fact, not a day goes by without a daily newspaper reporting the case of bodies found dismembered, the vital organs stolen. The authorities point – among others – the film industry.