Award-winning filmmaker and host of #WithChude, Chude Jideonwo, has announced the release date for his new short film Where is Chijioke?, which documents the 10-day protest by Obianuju Iloanya, demanding justice and accountability for her brother, Chijioke, who has been missing for 12 years.
Chijioke was 20 years old when police officers under the Akwuzu Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) unit in Anambra State arrested him in November 2012, under the instruction of Chief Superintendent of Police James Nwafor.
“We started telling Obianuju’s story after the #EndSARS protests in 2020,” said Jideonwo. “In a country where we quickly move on to the next tragedy and the next trending topic, Obianuju’s courage and resoluteness have inspired us. After our first documentary Awaiting Trial in 2022, as we witnessed the incredibly lonely journey she has embarked upon and the outpouring of empathy from Nigerians, we made a decision: we will be with her throughout this journey.
“This is our art as resistance: resistance against a system that chooses to silence this young Nigerian woman, and a culture that gives up too soon, once a citizen has been a victim of oppression. This has now become a long-term immersion journalism project, which means we won’t stop making TV, film, and content about this case as long as Obianuju does not stop.”
The film is directed by Chude Jideonwo and co-written by Chude Jideonwo and Dami Orimogunje. Bolu Akindele is the associate producer, and ‘Yemi Adamolekun is the co-executive producer. The original soundtrack is by Ava Momoh, and Tunde Apalowo is the supervising editor. It is presented by the factual film and series studio from West Africa, Chude Jideonwo Presents.
It will air on Arise TV, Channels TV, AIT, Wazobia Max, and Rave TV, and will afterward be available on-demand exclusively on the streaming platform www.withChude.com.