Tobi Bakre, Adesua Etomi-Wellington, Iyabo Ojo and others star in Amazon’s Prime, Gangs of Lagos

A story told with truths and reality of a continuous story of power, betrayal and family that never ends but runs through generations and times. Gangs of Lagos is a high-stakes, gritty, and hard-hitting action crime-thriller, with an authentic storyline centered on a group of childhood friends who each have to navigate destiny, growing up on the bustling streets and neighbourhood of Isale Eko, Lagos.

It features elaborate set pieces, action scenes, and engaging dialogue, balanced by a high-octane pace and emotionally grounded story at its core. Starring Tobi Bakre, Adesua Etomi-Wellington, Chike Osebuka, Chioma Chukwuka, and Iyabo Ojo, Gangs of Lagos is directed and produced by Jáde Osiberu.

Best friends Obalola and Ify were born and raised in Isale Eko, where politically affiliated gangs rule the streets. Both have big dreams of leaving Isale Eko; Obalola wants to be a writer, the next Wole Soyinka, while Ify has his eyes set on Afrobeats. But Isale Eko is not a place for lofty dreams. When their adopted street father Ninalowo is murdered, they join a gang led by Kazeem Olaotan – the chairman of the Road Workers’ Union, and Lagos underboss. As election campaigns begin, rival gangs paint the streets red. Ify gets caught up in gang wars and is butchered to death in the streets. A guilt ridden Obalola sets out to avenge his friend but uncovers secrets that will shake the very foundations of Isale Eko.

Prime Video finally premiered its much-awaited, Amazon Original Movie last Friday to its steamy huge viewership after a long series of intensive promotions, campaigns and global awareness across media platforms and bill boards. Revealing a short teaser for the film at a media briefing last Thursday just before its release, Jade Osiberu the director of the movie shared that, “I’m thrilled to be introducing audiences to this epic storyline and A-List talent from Nigeria with the launch of Gangs of Lagos. It’s a great opportunity to elevate Nigerian stories on a global scale with Prime Video. I asked myself, what it would feel like to be born into this life. Isale-Eko is very unique in the sense that it is very dense and highly populated while also being surrounded by a lot of wealth. I wanted to know what it felt like to be born there, to want to leave, to have dreams of a better life and struggle for that.”

She added that the story is not inspired by anyone in particular but by the Lagos society and the idea of humanising ‘area boys’ and dealing with circumstances larger than them. With the core of the film centered on friendship, family, secrets and betrayal, but adding a uniquely Nigerian twist to a genre that is very popular around the globe it’s location told a better relatability to the story. The resilient story of people, which mirrors the daily struggle people go through portraying the intense hustle on the streets of Lagos, the desire to thrive, the need for grit to survive and the juxtaposition of crime & poverty existing right beside the metropolis of Lagos.

“At Prime Video, we are looking to work with original voices to create spectacular stories and events that audiences can connect with wherever they may be. Gangs of Lagos launching will truly be a global cultural moment that marks the beginning of a new era in storytelling, where audiences everywhere can see the full power of Nigerian and African voices and the depths of our continued commitment to the local TV and film industry.” said Ned Mitchell, head of African and Middle East Originals, Prime Video.

Wangi Mba-Uzoukwu, head of Nigerian Originals, Prime Video added that, “As the first Nigerian Original to launch on Prime Video, Gangs of Lagos sets the tone and standard, with the authentically Nigerian storyline in a genre that is so popular around the globe, making it a movie for our audiences at home and abroad. We want our stories to travel in our own language, the way we want to tell them and we must tell these stories in a way we want by ourselves and for ourselves in the way we prefer. Before now, local language movies were not considered to be of the highest quality but we want to change this narrative going forward. We want Nigerian stories to travel all over the world as much as possible and our main mandate is to find these talents and push them out. This is just the first of many, there are so many products in the pipeline that are going to stay true to this vision. I have always wanted to work with creatives like Jade and I am glad I now have the opportunity to do so.”