By Damiete Braide
Three Nigerian filmmakers — Rogers Ofime, Charles Okpaleke and Agozie Ugwu — have collaborated to produce a new movie, The Hijack 93. The film educates viewers about the true-life story of the 1993 plane hijack in the country.
The Hijack 93 is a unique creative mission by two of the most prolific film production companies in Nigeria, Play Network Studios and Native Media TV, in collaboration with UK-based filmmaker, Femi Oyeniran.
The co-production, largely supported by the United Kingdom Government Department of International Trade (DIT), who have been actively seeking and facilitating UK-Nigeria co-productions in the film and television sector, and the British Film Institute, BFI, which aims to tell this legendary African story through the prism of motion pictures.
The co-collaborators find this project most expedient for encouragement, because they acknowledge that what happens to us is our story, and the stories we tell become our history. The story of the Africans must be told and defined by Africans.
According to the producers, “In 1993, four Nigerian teenagers championing a Movement for the Actualization of Democracy, (MAD), found themselves on board an aircraft heading to Abuja from Lagos. Midway into the journey, the MAD men overpowered both crew and passengers, and hijacked the plane.
“After several attempts to coerce the pilot to re-route the flight to Frankfurt, Germany, in a protest showing their dissatisfaction for the series of events that followed the June 12 elections that democratically elected Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, MKO Abiola, as the Nigerian president-elect.
They explored the option of landing the plane at Niamey, Niger Republic, where they held the plane hostage for 70 hours with demands to enthrone democracy in Nigeria.
Rogers Ofime, a multi-award winning filmmaker needs no introduction. His movies Voiceless, Olobiri, among others, are not only well-made, but tell stories that resonate in a didactic manner, and speak for his experience and exposure in the industry.
Charles Okpaleke, Chief Executive Officer, Play Network Studios, disclosed his initiative to create a movie based on this true-life story.
Charles, the man behind the initiative, with award-winning movies, including but not limited to Living in Bondage, Rattlesnake: the Ahanna Story and Glamour Girls, brings to the partnership his innovation, audacity and dedication to excellence.
According to him, “I’ve just approved the final draft of this exciting thriller, and my team and I are set to commence principal photography. The comments I received from friends, acquaintances and well-wishers, far and wide, locally and internationally were filled with excitement and encouragement.”
Agozie Ugwu, a highly cerebral film director and producer, who produced the recently released Aki and Pawpaw for Play Network Studios, an erudite film scholar with a host of academic feathers to his portfolio.
Femi Oyeniran, one of the finest British producers and directors with an avalanche of experience in filmmaking, including writing an episode on the Netflix Original series, Turn Up Charlie, by Idris Elba.
Femi has been a major player in the following productions: Sky Atlantic Series: Tin Star, Comedy Central’s Drunk History: Black Stories, as well as BET’s first UK-originated programme, The Culture Capsule.