Daniel Etim Effiong’s 2025 crime thriller, The Herd, was released in cinemas on October 17, 2025, just days after its star-studded Lagos premiere, where celebrity guests were visibly emotional while watching the movie.
The film also started showing on Netflix on Friday, 21st November, 2025. This increased the number of active viewers and also the number of criticisms. The film draws attention to systemic failures and the current issues plagued with Nigeria.
It got both positive and negative criticisms, from praises to outrage. While many Nigerians commended it for addressing real issues, the film has also evoked intense controversy, especially among communities that feel unfairly represented and stereotyped.
A major critic of the film is former aide to ex‑President Muhammadu Buhari, Bashir Ahmad, who argued that “The reason why some Arewa people are angry about The Herd movie is not because we are denying the reality of banditry… It is about the dangerous consequences of profiling an entire ethnic group and region that has already suffered immensely from years of insecurity.”
The reason why some Arewa people are angry about The Herd movie is not because we are denying the reality of banditry, far from it. It is about the dangerous consequences of profiling an entire ethnic group and region that has already suffered immensely from years of insecurity.… pic.twitter.com/pOK69GCpWy
— Bashir Ahmad, OON (@BashirAhmaad) November 22, 2025
On X, user @Fulani_Tutor called for a ban on the movie saying “Ban Netflix, Ban The Herd, Delete Netflix on your phone. As a Muslim, you have no business with this movie.”
The question now is, are these concerns true? Did the film profile the Arewa People? Did it showcase hatred for muslims in Nigeria?
To have a clear view on this, here’s an insight in the film. The Herd begins under hopeful circumstances where friends and family convene to celebrate a wedding in Southwest Nigeria. Among them are Gosi (played by Daniel Etim‑Effiong himself) and his wife, carrying the weight of her illness. Then, what should be a joyous celebration quickly devolves into chaos as a convoy of people including the couple gets ambushed by gunmen disguised as cattle herders, turning the wedding day into a fight for survival.
What commenters barely spoke about, however, is how the story tries to be objective, rather than actively play on stereotypes. There was the inclusion of diverse characters, across tribes, regions and religions in the movie. The general victims in the movie are ordinary people across tribes. The cast and victims in the movie are drawn from varied ethnic and religious backgrounds. The film tries to show that evil transcends faith or ethnicity, even as it dramatizes real conflict which was a brave attempt but not so successful as not everyone is seeing it.
The law enforcement agent who eventually came to the rescue of the victims was also a northerner. In a bid to attack the actual problems facing the country, rather than religious differences, Christian religious leaders are also portrayed negatively as there were pastors who were involved with trafficking and other abuses. This shows the film isn’t just demonizing Muslims herders, it also critiques religious fraud and corruption among Christians and southern communities.
Meanwhile, actor Abba Ali Zaki, who played a key character “Halil,” leader among the kidnappers, defended the nuance of his role, explaining “Halil wasn’t the villain . He was an orphan boy stolen at a young age and forced to spend 13 years with his kidnappers, growing into a man simply fighting to survive.” His statement explains that the film isn’t necessarily demonizing a people, but using personal trauma and desperation to explore how individuals become victims and perpetrators in cycles of violence.
The film shows that crime, violence, and betrayal can come under the guise of tradition, faith, or cultural identity but it also tries to treat victims and perpetrators with objectivity, not stereotypes.
The inclusion of diverse victim profiles, the depiction of corrupt religious figures and across tribes suggest the creators attempted fairness. The film does what art should do, which is to hold a mirror to society, forcing viewers to confront uncomfortable truths and empathize with victims of violence and insecurity. Whether you condemn it or endorse it, The Herd forces you to confront a painful reality.
