FKD Productions and Whitestone Picture present Richard Mofe-Damijo (Danlami Davo), Alex Ekubo (Zamani Davou), Rahama Sadou (Zee), Ali Nuhu (Anwal Davou), Euecharia Anunobi (Yemisi Gyang) Ayoola Ayolola (Obi), Ene Oloja (Hauwa Davou), Ibrahim Nassir (Abdul), Apel Odum (Bako). Director of Photography, Samuel Jonathan; Script by Franklin Uba, Brenda Ogbuka; Director, Robert Peters; Producer, Rogers Ofime. © 2020
Zero Hour we call this movie as if there’s a rush against a bomb hidden in the heir of Galaxy empire conglomerate’s bungalow, and we are like about thirty munites before it explodes. We are desperately rushing to defuse the bomb or to put the inferno off. It is quite as suspenseful as Netflix commentary states. The zero-hours could be the rush to save Zee from the grips of Danlami at the unfinished Galaxy Building.
Alexx Ekubo plays the princely role in Zero Hour, our one time pimp in The First Lady, and manages to pull the part off here as a gallant prince would. The arrival of Zamani Davou (Alexx Ekubo) from abroad, the heir to the Galaxy Group of Companies; the luke-warm welcome party his uncle Danlami Davou (Richard Mofi-Damijo) and his cousin, Awwal Davou (Ali Nuhu), the present chief accountant give him, is something not just right, in paradise.
And when he wanders into the room to have talks with his mother, Haowa Davou, (Ene Eloja) Yemise Gyang (Eucheria Anunobi) is there. I saw such a look on her face that didn’t sit well with me too. Yemise’s welcome line to Zamani in care of the young prince’s mother is, “You need to tell him how things work around here.” Right there, I complete my ring of suspects for any eventuality in Zero Hour.
Come with me if you will, because this isn’t going to take long. Zamani and his uncle are in the back of the Bentley coming home from the airport when he further acquaints the young man about the unfortunate tragic incident of his uncle committing suicide. At his welcome reception, Zamani and Awwal already don’t look good over the love of a brilliant woman, Zee (Rahama Sadou), who works for the outfit. Awwal has his eyes on her for marriage, but Zamani is oblivious of his feelings.
Zamani isn’t princely in a conventional sense. The sooner he hits the company grounds, he goes to work, even as his uncle will comment, “I thought you were going to take off a week before you start.” He couldn’t. He has tasted the American work ethics, busy, busy. He is lucky to have Zee, as his sidekick. She’s the nephew of Alhaji Abdul (Ibrahim Nassir), who everybody thinks commits suicide shortly before the arrival of Zamani, and she can’t get over the tragedy. She doesn’t believe its real, especially from the account documents Zee secretly gets from Bako (Apel Odeum). Soon after, someone murders Bako; then, the security, Koja, jumps from the upstairs balcony to his death.
Alhaji Abdul commits suicide, someone murders Bako, in his seat, in his office at the almighty Galaxy group of companies, and the security jumps to his death. These are no coincidental mishaps. The killer’s next target must be Zee, for whoever touches the mysterious file of documents ends up dead, and she has been sniffing around a lot.
Kevera Holdings’ Yamisi Gyang, the notorious UK who is a globe-trotting drug courier in Area Mama, and the aunt of Mercy Johnson, who introduces her to the Ashawo culture in that movie, has been laundering money through Galaxy Companies. And this been perpetrated by Danlami Davou, Zamani’s uncle. All the killings have been to protect the secret from prying eyes like that of Zee. Zamani meets with Yemisi in her office:
Ms. Gyang, “So what brings you to my humble building, and what can I do for you?”
Zamani, “A small matter. Well, not too small. You see Ms. Gyang, a member of my staff believes that your company is laundering money through mine. And killing people to cover it.”
Ms. Gyang, “Very hilarious. This is a joke, right?”
Zamani, “Not really.”
Ms. Gyang, “So this staff of yours…?”
Zamani, “The identity of the staff doesn’t matter.”
After Zamani leaves Ms. Gyang’s office, “Idiot, bloody Idiot, “ she sucks her teeth at Zamani.
The said self-pronounced fiancé of Zee, Awwal Davou, is in cohort with Danlami. Still, in the end, Danlami being at the end of his road had made attempts on the life of Zamani’s mother (Hauwa Davou) and runs after Zee, who is presently in the company of Awwal. He kills Awwal, then kidnaps Zee and takes her to the unfinished Galaxy building where everything goes down. He ties Zee to a concrete pole in the building.
The writer tells us that Danlami’s pretense of continuing his brother’s legacy is not true. Danlami is a selfish character in the story. You can hear him telling Awwal that he cares and wants the best for him in one minute, but shoot him in the next. “I told you not to investigate me, but you won’t listen. I don’t want to kill any more persons. It wasn’t supposed to be like this, but you won’t hear,” Danlami in a moment of confession says so to Zee, tied to the brick pillar. To Zamani, he says, “I am doing this to sustain your family legacy. Our family legacy. All I want is to get into government. One person in government.”
Obi (Ayoola Ayolola) who at one time Zee suspects as a killer, and has been following Zee and Zamani everywhere seems a different person when he comes to disclose his true identity. He turns back the two million Naira check, to Zamani, Alhaji Abdul has cut to him before his death. He has stayed on investigating the death of Alhaji Abdul and all other consequent deaths and along the way has crisscrossed with Zamani and Zainab. The greatest suspense in the story is when Obi discloses himself as an active DSS from the Department of State Services, which lives Zamani and Zainab agape.
Alfred Hitchcock once said, “When there’s a bomb under the table, and it explodes, that’s action. When we know the bomb is there, and the people at the table play cards, and it doesn’t explode, that’s suspense.” Zero Hour is suspenseful, period.