Brotherhood is a thriller produced by Jade Osiberu and directed by Loukman Ali in the year 2022.
The movie preamble shows a family of four (father, mother and twin boys) driving on New Year’s Day.
The sparkle between the husband and wife is ended when they offer to help an armed lady staged as a stranded lady.
They are shot dead and when their little boys stare at their bullet holed body, the way they hold each other’s hands suggests that nothing can ever come in between them.
The movie starts with one of the twins, Akin, being released from prison.
He hugs his aunty and jumps into the back of the lorry loaded with baskets of vegetables and tomatoes.
His aunt tells him that his brother, Wale, has been promoted and “today is his first day at work”.
This makes him quiet. When Akin and his aunt get home, they are greeted by a neighbour who is surprised that Aunty Morenike is still around despite the threat of the Ojuju Boys.
When Akin asks who the Ojuju boys are, his Aunt hands him the letter she received from them stating the date of their expected visit and mandating her to prepare their ‘entitlement’.
She then suggests that they temporarily move to his twin brother’s but Akin refuses.
Just then, his brother knocks and when he opens, they stare at each other for a while. There is no expression of emotions.
Akin calls him “policeman” while his brother returns the gesture with “criminal”.
Their aunty begins to lament about their cat and rat behaviour and wonders how they are so loathsome to each other despite her nurture.
When she says they are meant to be each other’s brother’s keeper, Akin says the only thing Adewale can keep is secret.
Later that day, when Akin is sleeping, the Ojuju Boys invade the house.
He is happy to see that one of them, Izra, is his childhood friend.
They exchange contact. Meanwhile, in Adewale’s office, during a briefing, Wale shows interest in the operation of the Ojuju Boys and why no action is taken in that regard.
To satisfy him, his colleague gives him the contact of the DPO in that local area. Izra introduces Kala to the Ojuju Boys squad.
Immediately, Kala suggests to Izra how they can level up, which is to rob a bullion van.
Falling in love with the insight, Izra informs him that the gang is structured and there is a CEO who must buy the idea first.
He is also introduced to Goldie, the First Lady and the only female in the crew.
The next scene shows Wale at his Boss’s birthday party where he meets Kamsi, his Boss’s daughter and immediately falls in love with her.
Wale later meets with the DPO of the local police who tells him that an attempt from the force will cost them their lives and that of their families but appreciates his offer to help.
Kala meets the CEO (Basket Mouth), known as Shadow, to whom he unfolds the details of the robbery and all the hands required; Adura, a former bullion van driver, Daju, a bus conductor reputed to know the map of Lagos and an ex-military expert to deliver sophisticated weapons.
The robbery is successful but Kala is mad at Izra for shooting somebody.The following scenes show Kamsi getting pregnant for Wale which cues his proposal to her.
At the robbery investigation site, Wale suspects a trace of the Ojuju Boys.
Just then the DPO calls to tell him that he has one of the Ojuju Boys in his custody.
Wale tries to sniff out helpful information from Kehinde but fails.
Afterwards, Wale goes to his boss’s house to seek Kamsi’s hand in marriage.
At his aunt’s, he hands her his wedding invitation card, warning her that the card admits one and no riffraff is invited.
The riffraff here is his twin brother, Akin. His aunty chastises him for that statement, reminding him that but for that riffraff, he would have long died.
It is here the audience has a hint of the history of their parallel lives.
Akin has always been a thief even though he has saved his brother’s life by stealing malaria drugs. Wale argues that Akin has chosen the life of crime and is unrepentant, despite their collective efforts to set him right.
On his way out, he meets his twin, they have a little quarrel.
Wale retorts, “I am done with you”. Akin replies that he is done with him as well and that he does not admire him at all.
Their aunty shows Akin the wedding card and surprisingly, Akin and his gang colourfully grace the occasion, making themselves conspicuous.
The way they threw money in the air with reckless abandon got the band singing their praise.
This does not go unnoticed by Wale’s father-in-law who gets to know for the first time that Wale has a criminal twin brother.
The omission of this information in his file will get Wale into trouble with Internal Affairs.
Officer Daniel decides that it remains clandestine as it will implicate both of them if revealed. The DPO invites Wale to the cell to listen to the confession of Kehinde.
On his arrival, Kehinde divulges to Wale that the resplendent guests at his wedding are the Ojuju Boys.
At the workshop, a new plan to rob two bullion vans within twenty-four hours is shared by Izra to the gang.
Kala warns that it is too risky and may cost them their lives but Shadow makes everyone cast a vote of no confidence.
Everyone except the First Lady goes with Izra.
Kala stomps out but is followed by Goldie who convinces him that this will be their last mission and that the returns will be used to flee the country.
No sooner had they ridden off in a power bike than Wale drove into the workshop asking for Akin.
When he mentions Shadow’s name, Izra and the boys get suspicious and ask him to leave.
That night, Goldie sets up a meeting for Izra and Kala to settle their differences and strategize together for a smooth robbery.
Kala recalls that Izra has a long memory of unrepentant greed but warns that if he is to be a part of this robbery, Izra must stick strictly to the plan.
At the robbery scene, the first bullion van is robbed successfully but Izra’s greedy spirit rears its ugly head as he calls for explosives to bomb the ATM, putting the crew at the risk of being caught.
Kala wonders what token is worth the time lag, shouting that the Police have been alerted. Izra insists and blows it.
On their way out, a brave security personnel shoots at them, making one of the gang reach out and shoot back.
This happens in time for ASP Daniel, Wale’s father-in-law to spot them from a distance.
The robbers are chased to their exchange point where an open fire ensues between them and the police.
Officer Daniel moves closer for a close-range shot only to get shot at by Kala.
When they all drive to safety, Kala pounces on Izra for the mess. He regrets that he shot his brother’s father-in-law.
Shadow sees it as normal and urges them to focus on the next robbery. Kala asks for his cut instead.
Furious Shadow declares that no one gets a dime until after the second robbery.
The emotional tantrum that ensues here is handled by Shadow himself but Kala walks away in rage.
The next scene shows Wale and the SWAT team at the hospital. Officer Daniel is announced dead.
One of them shows a video of the shooting scene to the rest of the team.
Convinced that Akin is in that video, angered Wale marches to his Aunt’s house in search of Akin.
He tells his doubtful Aunt that although they were masked, he is sure that Akin is in their midst.
He is frustrated when he goes to the workshop and finds Akin still at large.
At night, Adura convinces Kala that the robbery cannot be fruitful without his input. Akin agrees and maps out the plan.
Shadow gives out the number of the transporter who will move survivors to Togo from where everybody can relocate to their place of choice.
They kick off the next morning, some in a yacht to Third Mainland Bridge, others at the venue in several disguises.
As they begin their harassment, the SWAT team is alerted and on their way for the vengeance of Officer Daniel.
The gang gains access to the bullion van, passing the bagged money down through wires to the waiting yacht.
Upon the arrival of the SWAT team, there is serious open fire and lives from both the police and the gang are lost.
Shadow is fully present at this operation, unlike others before, where he waits at an exchange point to drive them to safety.
Only this time, as he shoots at their adversary, the police, he is shot at by a home adversary, Izra.
As he bleeds, his face expresses shock at Izra’s dare and realization that Izra has been the enemy.
Meanwhile, one of the hostages on the bridge has done a video that has gone viral.
A neighbour shows it to Aunt Morenike who immediately recognizes the gang from Wale’s wedding.
She hastens to the robbery scene. Izra makes his way to the yacht quickly and carts away with the money, shooting another brother.
Adura escapes early enough. Every other gang member dies. As Goldie and Kala ride away, she is shot.
Kala is halted by a team of policemen who have formed a barricade on the other side of the bridge.
Their Aunty arrives on the scene, Wale removes his helmet and walks forward begging Akin to drop his weapon.
Slow motion is adopted here to heighten the emotion of the audience as Akin stands there, being the last criminal standing with no safety in sight and Wale begging him to drop the gun and as police restrict their Aunt from running to him.
He is shot by a SWAT member, he staggers to the side of the bridge as the second shot plunges him into the water.
The police continue to shoot into the water as Wale cries out for them to seize fire.
For the first time, Wale is moved to compassion for his brother, publicly announcing that “that is my brother”.
He is later suspended by Internal Affairs.
New look Izra goes to the transporter with the money but is greeted by his death via Kala’s gun.
Years later, Wale is with his family when he receives a call from Akin to register his survival. When he picks, it is their usual exchange.
Akin calls him a policeman while Wale responds by calling him a criminal.
MY DESK
The scene where ASP Daniel died is troubling.
The chant from the policemen in pursuit of the robbers, “Get them”, “move”, “drive faster”, was unnecessary, as they were already within close range.
For an observing audience, there was no open camera shot to see the full set as both gang and police opened fire.
Why on earth would robbers stop and change vehicles in the full view of the police and none of them was shot? Plus no officer ran to the bleeding ASP when he was shot in the belly and falling slowly.
Another laughable scene was where Goldie was shot by a supposed sniper, that bullet would have hit Akin too.
I understand the intention of the director to delay the villain’s death but she could have died by another shot.