The attention of the four bereaved families of the ill-fated Aluu 4 incident have been draw bin to a widely advertised movie titled “Dark October” which was produced by a known blogger by the name Linda Ikeji as stated therein.
For the records and sadly so, Linda Ikeji produced the movie without the seeking the consent of the affected families and parents of the unforgettable Aluu 4 victims. The question to Linda Ikeji are: Can you cry more than the bereaved or do you not have some conscience and humanity in you as a parent that you have become?
For the umpteenth time, I have been instructed in writing through my organisation The Integrity Friends for Truth and Peace Initiative TIFPI by the four affected families, that is the parents of late Lloyd Toku-Mike, Chiadika Biringa, Ugonna Obuzor and Tekena Elkanah to represent them and ensure that justice is done in this matter.
This is to the effect that Linda Ikeji acted both of her own volition and on a frolic of her own as she failed, refused and neglected to seek the consent of the affected and families/parents of these boys whose names and story of the Aluu 4 incident form the entire essence of the said movie.
It is important to state that the inexcusable and desperate action of Linda Ikeji on this blood-laced story in what is now christened globally as Aluu 4 or Uniport4 may falsely or arrogantly indicate that these innocent boys do not come from homes and this is not only illegal, it is both inhuman and un-African of one who should know better.
The production of the advertised movie has deeply reactivated the trauma and psychological pain that these families have been irrecoverably battling with for the past ten years plus and this is unfair. It is on record that Linda Ikeji has never reached out to the affected families since 2012 and this raises questions on her motivation.
The said Movie “Dark October”, a true life story is said to be distributed by FilmOne Entertainment company and was Directed by a certain Toka MacBaror according to Linda Ikeji. Curiously, she has announced on her blog and other mainstream media platforms that the movie will be premiered on February 3, 2023 on Netflix in about a hundred and Ninety countries to a global audience.
Linda Ikeji should not be delighted to be smiling to the banks over the graves of these innocent boys and stamping her feet on the bleeding hearts of their parents and loved ones by her current disposition.
As we speak, the parents and families of the Aluu 4 victims have been plunged again into a new phase of their old grief on account of this surprise movie which is without their consent and consultation.
To this end, on behalf of the parents/families of the Aluu 4, we hold that the production and distribution of this movie by Linda Ikeji without the consent and consultation with the affected families/parents is insensitive, mischievous and unacceptable. This can be likened to a brazen copyright theft where a group of persons seek to play a fast one to make tall gains and profiteer from the unquenchable grief of another without recourse to the bereaved families and direct victims.
We therefore demand that Linda Ikeji and her business partners including Netflix, FilmOne Entertainment Company, etc should by this notice immediately retract and suspend any further actions including the premiering slated for February 3, 2023 and any other date pending and subject to consultations and express consent of the affected families who are at the receiving end of the entire assault.
In furtherance to this notice for retraction, at this instant time, we have instructed our lawyers to immediately serve Linda Ikeji and her partners a Letter of Caution/Pre-Action Notice with an ultimatum or risk the burden of litigations.
