Maitatsine film project cleared for production – Director

All required documentation and statutory approvals for Maitatsine (The Curser) have been fully concluded, clearing the historical film project to move officially into production.

The announcement confirmed that regulatory clearances, statutory approvals and production documentation necessary for filming have now been secured, paving the way for principal photography to commence in line with approved guidelines.

SolaceBase reports that Maitatsine tells the story of Muhammadu Marwa and examines one of the most violent and consequential episodes in Nigeria’s history.

Between 1980 and 1985, the ’Yan Tatsine movement carried out deadly uprisings across several northern cities, including Kano, Maiduguri, Yola and Gombe, fundamentally reshaping national debates on religious extremism, state authority and social dislocation.

The most devastating phase of the crisis occurred in Kano in December 1980, when clashes lasted for 11 days and resulted in the deaths of more than 4,000 people, including civilians, police officers and soldiers.

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Entire neighbourhoods were destroyed, while the scale of the violence exposed Nigeria’s lack of preparedness for large-scale urban insurgency and religious extremism, with consequences that continue to resonate decades later.

The film is described as a large-scale production, involving more than 3,000 cast and crew, highlighting the scope and ambition of the project.

The producers say the film represents a major historical and cinematic undertaking aimed at documenting a defining period in the country’s past.

The project director, Prince Daniel Aboki, confirmed that he will personally helm the production, expressing his readiness to begin filming now that all formal processes have been completed.

A sample poster released alongside the announcement was clarified to be an AI-generated visual created strictly for conceptual and visualisation purposes, and not an official promotional image.

Production is expected to commence shortly.