Linda Ikeji is requested to postpone the debut of “Dark October” by the families of the murdered UNIPORT students
Parents of the four University of Port Harcourt students killed in 2012 in the Aluu Community by a mob have petitioned Netflix and well-known blogger Linda Ikeji to postpone the release of their film, Dark October.
The film centers on the 2012 October student slayings known as “Aluu-4.”
The families of the murdered students claimed they were consulted prior to the film’s production in a statement released on Wednesday in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, by Livingstone Wechie, the executive director of a human rights organization called The Integrity Friends for Truth and Peace The initiative (TIFPI), which is set to premiere on February 3.
They claim that the change will revive painful memories they had been able to put to rest.
The awful death of their children, they continued, had “reawakened the already soaked trauma” brought on by the movie.
The statement said: “A extensively publicized film titled Dark October, which was produced by a well-known blogger by the name of Linda Ikeji as mentioned therein, has garnered the attention of the four bereaved families of the tragic Aluu 4 tragedy.
For the record, and sadly so, Linda Ikeji made the film without obtaining the approval of the impacted families and parents of the infamous Aluu 4 victims.
Linda Ikeji is asked, “Can you grieve more than the bereaved, or do you not have some conscience and humanity in you as the mom that you have become?
“The four affected families—the parents of the late Lloyd Toku-Mike, Chiadika Biringa, Ugoing to Obuzor, and Tekena Elkanah—have given me written instructions through my organization, The Integrity Friends for Truth and Peace Initiative TIFPI, to represent them and see that justice is served in this case.
“This is to the effect that Linda Ikeji failed, rejected, and neglected to obtain the agreement of the afflicted and families/parents of these lads whose identities and the account of the Aluu 4 incident form the entire essence of the aforementioned movie. She acted both of her own free will and on a whim.
It is crucial to note that Linda Ikeji’s inexcusable and desperate actions on this bloody story in what is now known as Aluu 4 or Uniport4 may falsely or haughtily imply that these innocent boys do not come from homes. This is not only against the law, but it is also inhumane and un-African of someone who should know better.
“To this end, we hold that Linda Ikeji’s production and dissemination of this video without the approval and consultation of the affected families/parents is insensitive, malicious, and inappropriate on behalf of the parents/families of the Aluu 4.
“We, therefore, demand that Linda Ikeji and her business partners, including Netflix, FilmOne Entertainment Company, etc., immediately retract and suspend any further actions, including the premiere scheduled 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,” the statement reads.
