Filmmakers have been ordered by the federal government to remove money ritual content from their films.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, revealed the latest step during a media visit in Abuja, according to Daily Trust.
According to the minister, some of the accused ritual murderers who have been apprehended confessed to learning the ritual killings act on social media, prompting the Federal Government to make a change to sanitize social media.
He said, “Many have also blamed Nollywood for featuring money rituals in some of its movies, saying this has negatively influenced the vulnerable youth. To mitigate this, I have directed the National Film and Video Censors Board, the body set up to regulate the film and video industry in Nigeria, to take this issue into consideration while performing its role of censoring and classifying films and videos.
“I have also directed NFVCB to engage with stakeholders in the film industry in order to express the concerns of the government and Nigerians on the need to eschew money ritual content in their movies.
Not long ago, the NFVCB took action to prohibit smoking in movies by passing a non-smoking law in Nollywood films.
The action comes after proof of the entertainment industry’s influence on cigarette usage and its impact on public health, according to the board’s director, Adedayo Thomas. Adedayo went on to say that the board will raise awareness among film stakeholders as it works to enforce the non-classification of Nollywood films depicting tobacco use.
