While streaming services are in constant fierce competition with each other to provide high-quality titles, few can rival Netflix. This is primarily because it focuses on producing not only movies and series for a global audience but also content specific to individual countries, with titles created by local talent.
The Nigerian entertainment industry has greatly benefited from its collaboration with the streamer, releasing many popular titles like “Inside Life” and “Tòkunbò.” Now, they have launched their new hit title for the last days of October, “Hijack ’93,” which is rapidly gaining massive viewership.
As most already know, the drama is based on a true story, but how much do you know about it? Here, learn all the details about the Nigerian Airways Airbus A310 flight that was hijacked in 1993.
Inside the real events that inspired Netflix’s Hijack ’93
Back then, the tension surrounding the annulment of the June 12 election and the looming threat of Nigeria entering a civil war angered many, particularly a group of four teenagers aged sixteen to eighteen who felt encouraged to step in and make a change.
With the backing of the Movement for Democracy in Nigeria (MAD), they decided to express their resentment over the annulled elections, fearing that the system would continue to disrespect the lives, rights, and privileges of Nigerian citizens, as they explained to Sahara Reporters.
On Monday, October 25, Richard Ogunderu, Kabir Adenuga, Benneth Oluwadaisi, and Kenny Rasaq-Lawal boarded the Airbus A310 flight from Lagos to Abuja, intending to terrorize those who were terrorizing their people, with their main targets being top government officials like Rong Yiren.
In an instant, they took the entire plane hostage, demanding that the interim government resigned and named Moshood Abiola as president. If their petitions were not met, they would set the Airbus A310 on fire within 72 hours. The news of the hijacking shook the entire world, as Nigeria was considered one of the safest places for flights to operate.
Due to the fuel consumption, they had to land in Niamey. After two hours of negotiations with the authorities and hundreds of gendarmes outside, they released more than 100 people, including Rong Yiren, but kept several Nigerian government officials captive. The local authorities took a few days to decide on a course of action, as they were uncertain about the hijackers’ military capabilities or whether they had explosives prepared to detonate if anyone came close.
“Hijack ’93”. (Source: Netflix)
After four days, the gendarmes stormed the plane and arrested the four teens. They spent nine years and four months in prison, and since their release, they have candidly shared their story with various media outlets. For instance, when asked if he felt fear when they were captured, Ogunderu told Sahara Reporters:
“We were on a mission, we wanted to show the evil regime that young people were prepared to go the extra length to free Nigerians from the yoke of military dictatorship. We were not afraid.” Richard added: “We wanted freedom, freedom to choose our leaders. We were pushed to the extreme and we reacted in an extreme manner.”
In prison, they faced the hardest times, enduring hunger, deprivation of basic human necessities, and threats of death from other inmates. Throughout those years, the group had no connection to their loved ones. When returning to freedom, they did not receive post-trauma treatment or any rehabilitation into society, so they have coped as best they could since then, now living quiet lives while still being involved in political activities from a low-profile posture.
