Hijack ’93 is a Nigerian film that dramatises the true events of a hijacking that took place on October 25, 1993, when four young men seized control of a Nigerian Airways flight.
Hijack ’93 is a Play Network production directed by Robert Peters and produced by Charles Okpaleke. It is a 2024 Nigerian movie that captures the intensity and high-stake tension of the hijacking. It explores the personal struggles of the hijackers, who were motivated by social and political issues rather than financial gain.
Historical Background of Hijack ’93
On October 25, 1993, the Nigerian Airways flight A310, from Lagos to Abuja was hijacked by 4 teenagers as an act of protest due to the annulment of the June 12 1993 presidential election which saw Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola as the winner.
The 1993 general election was significant and one for the history books. It was supposed to signal a smooth transition from military rule to civilian rule. Unfortunately, the election results were never officially announced as the then military ruler, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida annulled the election on the grounds of electoral irregularities.
The annulment led to political unrest and protests all over the country, one of which was the plane hijack of 1993. The hijackers’ only demand was for the military government to resign and reinstate Moshood Abiola as President.
The Film Hijack ’93
Set in Lagos, Nigeria, in 1993, the film opens with a group of young men being addressed and given a heartfelt talk by their leader on the topic of oppression, revolution, and change. The revolutionary leader (Sam Dede) selects four boys to carry out a task.
The scene that follows is at an airport, where the four men Skipper (Nnamdi Agbo), Eruku (Adam Garba), Owiwi (Allison Emmanuel), and Iku (Oluwaseyi Akinsola) proceed to board the plane while a cabin crew member hides weapons in the plane’s restroom.
The plane is being piloted by Captain Ambrose (John Dumelo) and Captain Odion (Efa Iwara) who is currently engaged to one of the crew members Ada (Sharon Ooja). The flight is scheduled for Lagos to Abuja.
The plane takes off and the hijack begins with a crew member held at gunpoint with an announcement.
“Ladies and gentlemen, this is not your captain speaking, we are the movement for the advancement of democracy and this aircraft is under our control. We demand an end to an oppressive regime that has stolen the collective wealth of many just for the gain of a few. We give the Nigerian government 72 hours to reinstate our democratically elected president. We are not terrorists but we are prepared to do whatever it takes to reclaim our stolen mandate and with God on our side, the people’s will shall prevail. Power to the people!”
They demanded that the pilot change the course of the plane to Frankfurt, Germany but he could not because they were running out of fuel. The pilot had to make an emergency stop in the Niger Republic.
As they land, military officers with ammunition are assembled, ready to open fire. At this point, the passengers become even more frightened and tense, scared of what their fate would be.
The hijackers get a woman who speaks French to communicate with the armed forces of the Niger Republic to tell them to cease fire and not attack. News agencies and journalists from Nigeria and Niger Republic are at the scene to cover the situation and soon the Nigerian Army and Air Force arrive led by Captain Kenneth Dokubo (Bob Manuel).
We soon find out that the son of the Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Lee Zhang is among the hostages and the Nigerian Army must do everything they can to make sure he gets off the plane unhurt.
We later are introduced to the backstory of the four youths that prompted them to take the kind of action they did. Eruku was imprisoned for a crime he did not commit and spent a week in prison. This points to the failures in the justice system.
Skipper lost his mom because of his inability to provide healthcare for her, in a well-functioning system of government, healthcare should be accessible regardless of one’s financial status.
Owiwi suffered maltreatment and harassment from his father and had a hard time struggling with it. This is because the country did not provide mental health support and welfare programs to help with domestic abuse.
Lastly, Iku lost his daughter to a shooting in his area, a vivid picture of a lack of effective security.
The hijackers are blackmailed by the Nigerian army using their families to get the hijackers to release Lee Zhang and other important Nigerians on the plane.
As the disaster continues to play out, the hijackers realise that the situation isn’t going to turn out the way they had planned. They accept that they have failed and allow women and children to leave the plane, then they demand a reputable journalist to allow them to tell their side of the story.
They also want to be tried in the Niger Republic, not Nigeria after they surrender. Owiwi however is not in support of their plan to surrender, in his words “Surrendering is for cowards and I am not a coward”.
His agitation leads to the death of the woman who had been their interpreter. Losing patience with the hijackers, the army releases fire and takes over the plane.
Movie Review
Hijack ’93 is a great film based on a significant event in Nigeria’s history, one that most Nigerians are not aware of. The cast and crew of the film deserve accolades. The movie’s trailer was intriguing, making the movie look like a hit, something you couldn’t wait to see on your screens, but upon seeing it, it is safe to say it did not meet expectations.
First, the whole point of the hijack was that the hijackers did not like the outcome of the 1993 election, they felt the people were cheated and they needed the right person put back in power.
However, in the film, there was hardly any trace that an election had taken place and that the same election was the cause of whatever was going on in the film.
Secondly, the back-stories of the hijackers were not properly built up, their stories did not have an emotional connection that would make the viewers connect with them and justify their actions. There was no back-story for their revolutionary leader, why did he recruit young men to rebel against their government? What motivated him?
Finally, the acting and dialogue were flat and unconvincing. It felt like they were reading their lines off a screen. The hijackers can be overlooked because it’s their first time acting, but the seasoned actors and actresses didn’t deliver either.
It was a good movie that told a historical fact not known to many, but it could have been better.
Final Thoughts
Rating
I would give this a rating of 5/10. You can watch Hijack’93 on Netflix.
Read also: Késárí (The King) – Nollywood Movie Review
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