By Ozolua Uhakheme, Assistant Editor (Arts)
“You are telling me about corruption in Nigeria. Why not come home and contribute to the development of your village…In Nigeria, it is cash and carry democracy and is very cheap unlike in Europe. Back home people want to fight poverty not corruption.” These were part of the mind game statements by Victor Power who acts as a former Governor in a new Afrocentric political thriller Agent from Abuja to cajole his kidnappers in London.
The 75-minute movie, a production of Ramo Bay Filmworks, written and directed by Ade Adepegba is laced with action and suspense all through its duration. It captures how a former state Governor flees Nigeria in the aftermath of a failed assassination attempt by an unnamed security agency. The former Governor arrives in London and is kidnapped by a group of idealistic Nigerian students determined to recover stolen millions in order to help people back in their homeland. The politician uses mind games to try and turn the students against one another. But, the deadlier enemy is among the students: because one of them is an undercover agent with orders that include killing the politician and leaving no witnesses.
The movie centres on four idealistic Nigerian students who kidnap a Nigerian politician to recover stolen millions. It is a timely production at a time large scale financial misappropriations are rocking government agencies like NDDC and NNPC.
Unknown to the politician, his case has turned to a hunter becoming the hunted, a situation that allows every tactic and strategy to be deployed freely by either party to upturn the situation.
Kept away in a desolate place in London, the former Governor is tied to a chair and was constantly accused of bad governance especially the assassination of a political reporter who is related to one of the kidnappers.
As an experienced politician, the former Governor fell back on his old antics to set the kidnappers who are mainly students against themselves using mind game.
“You are now showing me your true colour…One of you is an undercover agent from Abuja,” he said to his kidnappers.
Agent From Abuja, which also stars Chris Machari as (I.D/The Agent), Toheeb Ibrahim as (O.J), Yvonne Hays as (T.I), Sokari Erekosima as (Benson) is a subtle call on Nigerians in Diaspora by politicians that there are better opportunities at home in spite of its corrupt system than in foreign land.
Interestingly, the kidnappers are after his loot. The only female member of the gang, T.I speaks clearly of their mission and interest. “I did not know you were killing people. Yes, I know you were stealing money and we were spending it together. But, I took care of you,” she notes while quizzing the captive. “We are here to collect money form the former Governor,” she confirms.
Unfortunately, former Governor’s mind game got the better of the four kidnappers as distrust crept in between them. As a result, only T.I and O.J survived the plot to eliminate each other following the dispute on the amount of money recovered from former Governor.
Apart from addressing contemporary issues of bad governance and corruption in Nigeria, Agent from Abuja which is already on Amazon, is an excellent example of a tight and rich movie that keeps the audience spell bound all through its duration. Even with same location and fewer casts, the movie sustains the audience curiosity and interest.
Responding to questions, Adepegba said: “The character of the Governor is suggesting that racial discrimination limits the business prospects of Nigerians living in Britain, while in Nigeria, bribery will solve most business problems. So, a Nigerian in Britain can never gain access to the Commissioner of Police for business purposes, while in Nigeria it’s simply a matter of paying the required bribe to obtain a meeting with the IGP. The Governor is attempting to use racism in Britain to justify corruption in Nigeria on the basis that Nigeria is a more conducive business environment.
“As the writer and director of the film, I’m fascinated by the power of all politicians to use clever but false reasoning to manipulate issues.”
The movie was screened privately for a select media at Ikeja, Lagos recently.
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