All roads will lead to Blue Pictures Cinema at City Mall, Onikan, Lagos, on Friday, November 13, as the highly anticipated Nollywood action-thriller, “Issakaba: The Return”, makes its cinematic debut in Nigeria.
Director and co-producer, Lancelot Imasuen, disclosed this during a press screening of the sequel last weekend in Lagos.
“Issakaba” was first released in 2001, and following the continued relevance of its theme, the decision to revisit the classic was hatched. Since the release of its trailer online, many moviegoers have been eager to storm the cinemas to see the much-expected sequel.
And true to expectation, the blockbuster is worth the buzz currently generating ahead of its release. The sequel recaptures the evil that the Issakaba Boys fought 25 years ago, which is still very much with us today, making “Issakaba: The Return” a must-watch.
Speaking at the event, Lancelot recalled how “Issakaba” was born out of real-life events in Aba, following the success of his earlier hit, “The Last Burial”, produced by the late Jude Chukwuka Emelionwu of KasVid International.
“After “Last Burial” was making waves, my attention was drawn to the activities of the Bakassi Boys in Aba. We called a script conference with Reginald Ebere, started discussing casting and characterization, and that was how “Issakaba” was birthed. It was originally titled “My Town” he disclosed.
According to him, the film’s message remains urgent: “Issakaba said security is local. Let traditional rulers, local governments and communities be involved in securing their people.”
He described the last 25 years as “25 years of courage, boldness, deep thinking and advocacy for a peaceful and safer society.”
A blend of action, horror and traditional mysticism, the original “Issakaba” was inspired by the real-life Bakassi Boys, a vigilante movement that emerged in southeastern Nigeria during a period when communities were battling armed robbery and insecurity. Led by Ebube, the vigilante group sought justice where conventional policing failed.
D’Gvnor, as he’s fondly called by colleagues and fans, lamented that 25 years after”Issakaba” was released, the issues raised by the film are still prevalent in society.
The movie will be distributed by Blue Pictures Cinema.
