10. Nigeria Bans District 9 Believing Film Depicted Them As Cannibals
While the rest of the world was lauding praise on the 2009 sci-fi hit, District 9; the Nigerian government was not very happy. They took objection to the way Nigerians were portrayed and banned the film from being shown in any cinema. They also demanded that Sony Pictures give the country an immediate apology. The scene that most upset them was where the film's bad guy, Obesandjo, tries to cut off and eat an arm in order to gain Wikus van de Merwe supposed magical powers. Nigeria's Information Minister Dora Akunyili told the BBC;
"We feel very bad about this because the film clearly denigrated Nigeria's image by portraying us as if we are cannibals, we are criminals."
Even the fact that the character's name was ''Obesandjo'' annoyed them because it sounded too similar to former Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo. Dora Akunyili continued;
"The name our former president was clearly spelt out as the head of the criminal gang and our ladies shown like prostitutes sleeping with extra-terrestrial beings" "I have also formally written to Sony Pictures Entertainment, the company that produced this film, demanding an unconditional apology for this unwarranted attack on Nigeria's image"
For a bit of a reality check on the situation, Nigerian actor Khumbanyiwa put his head above the parapet and said;
"It's a story, you know, It's not like Nigerians do eat aliens. Aliens don't even exist in the first place."