A newly released Nigerian epic movie, Lisabi has topped the Netflix chart in Nigeria and entered the top 10 charts in Kenya and Mauritius. Lisabi is a legendary story of local rebellion against an oppressive empire and its agents derived from a Yoruba historical account.
Released on Friday, September 27, Lisabi is produced by Niyi Akinmolayan and features an exciting list of actors. These include Boma Akpore, Adebowale Adedayo, Gabriel Afolayan, Ibrahim Chatta and Lateef Adedimeji.
Set in the 18th-century Oyo Empire, the movie attempts to tell to retell the story of the Oyo Empire, but from an angle not expected and not unfamiliar. It tells the story of Lisabi Agbongbo-Akala and the Egba people’s fight against the mighty Oyo Empire in the 18th century to highlight how bravery and unity can guarantee independence.
The Oyo Empire, one of the most powerful West African states at the time, exerted significant control over many neighbouring peoples, including the Egba. This control was marked by heavy tribute demands and forced labour.
Songodeyi, the ruthless head of the tribute collectors, alongside his brutal subordinates, terrorizes the Egba people, despite their compliance with the tribute demands. Their cruelty has no bounds—they take more than what is owed, rape young women, and kill anyone who dares to resist their tyranny. As their oppression worsens day by day, life becomes unbearable for the farmers and villagers of Egba land.
Lisabi Agbongbo-Akala was a resourceful Egba farmer who organised a rebellion against the oppressive Oyo rulers. With his strategic brilliance and leadership, Lisabi forms the Aaro society, a communal work group that secretly becomes the backbone of the uprising.
He also turned out to be a skilled military strategist and farmer who united several Yoruba groups to launch an attack against the Oyo Empire between 1775 and 1780.
According to the movie, Lisabi (Lateef Adedimeji) used the combined strength of his fellow farmers and the support of different deities to equip his folks to fight an evidently superior force and win their freedom.
Before gaining their independence, communities such as Ijaiye, Gbagura, and Igbeyin were all under the control of the Oyo Empire. Lisabi’s rebellion marks a turning point in Egba’s history, as he leads his people to victory and freedom from the Oyo Empire’s domination, cementing his legacy as a hero and liberator.
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