Set to release in 2024, “Hijack ’93” is directed by Robert O. Peters and is a Nigerian based thriller that brings to life the event surrounding the hijacking of Nigerian Airways in 1993. The film focuses on the reasons and actions that spearheaded the attempts of four young men flying a domestic airline within the borders of Michigan as a way of registering their disdain against the political status of Nigeria.
Synopsis:
Gabriel Agbo portrays Dayo, with Garba Agbo assuming the role of Kidode, alongside Emmanuel Agbo cast as Ben, and Sam Dede taking up the role Mallam Jerry. The story stars four young men participating in an unlawful act while being politically motivated during the early 1990s. These four men, led by Jerry, took over the Nigerian Airways flight on the 25th of October in 1993 from Lagos International Airport to Abuja International Airport, with the intention of flying to Frankfurt, Germany, due to the political turmoil going on Nigeria which was worsened due to the presidential elections of June 12th, 1993, being annulled. However, the airplane could not reach the intended destination due to fuel constraints, and instead landed in a tense Niamey, Niger. The film dives deeper into the internal struggles of the hijackers, the boundless suffering of the passengers, and the deeper context of these events.
Nnamdi Agbo as Omar (Skipper): Agbo has the honor to portray the head of the hijackers with inexorable fury as he attempts to bring forth democratic reform on the nation.
Sam Dede plays the role of Mallam Jerry Yusuf as an ideological mentor and inspires the henchmen with his revolutionary ideals. Oluwaseyi Akinsola as Dayo (Iku) portrays the youngest member whose ignorance serves as a stark contrast to problem at hand. Adam Garba as Kayode (Eruku) plays the role of a passionate activist who struggles with the drastic consequences of their actions. Alliason Emmanuel as Ben (Owiwi) depicts a conflicted youth who is clear torn between their loyalty to the cause and the results of their actions. Lastly Nancy Isime as Iyabo plays a courageous flight attendant acting out as a calm presence in the midst of chaos. John Dumelo as Captain Ambrose took on the role of the responsible pilot who must juggle between his passengers’ safety and the hijackers demands. The screenplay has been written by Musa Jeffery David and he aims to capture the nuances around the hijackers’ motives and the political environement then. The film score was composed by Gray Jones Ossai who builds on the tension and emotional foldy surrounding the event.
Production Insights:
Filming began in May 2023, where Play Network Studios and Native Media worked on the project together. In order to recreate the environment of 1993, the production team examined historical records as well as eye witness accounts. The actors also underwent extensive training to help them cope with the physical and psychological demands of their roles, particularly the political violence that inspired the real life hijackers.
Reception:
The film “Hijack ‘93” was released on Netflix on October 25, 2024, and attracted 3.2 million views in the first week alone, after which it reached the ninth position in Netflix Nigeria’s top 10. “Hijack ‘93” later secured the third position on the Netflix Global Chart for the most watched English films, receiving over 7.3 million views and entering the Top 10 in 61 countries. Critically, the film received poor reception.
African Folder: Noghama Ehioghae rated the film 3.6 out of 10, saying it is a very poor film which does not explain the story of the hijackers and gives little insite to their reasoning. Hence, the audience finds it extremely difficult to understand their motives and logic.
Midgard Times: Neerja Choudhuri gave the film an 8 out of 10, stating that the screenplay demonstrates unique abilities to provide high-tension objectives, and gives creative freedom to the remaining cast and other people involved in the project.
Technext24: Omoleye Omoruyi gave the movie a 2 out of 10 for what he critiqued as a narration that was poorly executed as a “cobbled together collective of disjointed snippets.” Clearly, he experienced the film feeling perplexed throughout its content.
Analysis:
“Hijack ‘93” attempts to capture and highlight a significance that is not well known in Nigerian history. It does manage to focus on the political irritation within the presented time period, however, it falters on issues such as developing the characters, especially the people that took over the airplane and their motives. It combines breathtaking moments with exceedingly dull moments one after the other. In addition the edit does not increase the overall intensity of the pieces. However, powerful performances from actors such as Nnamdi Agbo and Sam Dede adds nuances to the story depicting the struggles of the character’s external and internal conflicts.
Conclusion:
“Hijack 93” attempts to move around a pivotal point that would mark Nigeria’s dawning as a democratic state. Although the film left a lot to be desired in terms of its ‘narrative’, it gives a unique perspective into the depths people can sink to achieve political ideology change and the thin lines between activism and extremism. The film ‘hijack 93’ serves all the viewers who enjoy watching a politically themed dramatized portrayal based on true events in history.
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