Battle on Buka Street

In Otanwa’s Buka Street, Yejide Funke Akindele runs the most patronized buka, supported by her mother Asake and her children. When her step-sister and archenemy Awele Mercy Johnson Okojie buys the neighboring shop, a fierce rivalry erupts that traces back to the mothers’ jealousies and the years that followed.

The feud is personal from the start, rooted in a history where Asake and Ezinne (Awele’s mother) were repeatedly at odds with each other, and that conflict shadows their daughters’ future. The two buka operators wage a war not just for customers but for pride, status, and survival in a tight-knit community.

At first, Awele struggles to siphon customers away from Yejide, so she resorts to sabotage. She sends her younger twins, Kaira and Kaiso, to trap Asake inside Maduka’s house, cutting off her ability to prepare stews. The ploy works, and crowds shift toward Awele’s restaurant, triggering a cascade of retaliatory moves as the two families try to outmaneuver one another. Each side recruits their children to play out the feud, turning feigned civility into calculated attacks—planting rats and cockroaches, and manipulating the town’s perception to tilt the balance in their favor.

Meanwhile, a deceitful rumor mill spreads through the family: Ifunnaya, Awele’s oldest daughter, and Ademide, Yejide’s son, are supposedly headed to America and Canada. In reality, both youths have gone to Lagos, where they cross paths and discover a way to help each other out of their respective predicaments. Their reunion reveals a glimmer of hope amid the rancor, and they eventually return to Otanwa changed by their shared experience.

The rivalry intensifies when Fadekemi, Yejide’s daughter, unknowingly replaces kerosene with petrol at Awele’s buka, triggering a dangerous blaze. The incident makes Yejide question how far the feud should go, even as Asake remains stubbornly invested in the quarrel. Concurrently, Ezinne, who has grown sicker with the strain of the conflict, expresses remorse for fanning the flames and dies after urging Awele to abandon the feud. Despite these losses, the two families press on with divergent spiritual beliefs aimed at bringing the other down, but their efforts consistently falter.

Nearby, a prison break unleashes chaos on Buka Street. In the ensuing uproar, inmates loot shops and terrorize the town, yet one dramatic consequence is that Lanshile, Yejide’s husband, escapes after taking the blame for a rival’s death—an act that left him imprisoned for years. The arrival of Lanshile stirs mixed emotions in their children, who initially resent his return because of the stigma surrounding Ademide’s paternity. Over time, though, the truth begins to surface, and the family starts to heal as Yejide finally reveals the full story of what happened.

During the youth carnival, Ademide rises to the occasion, and a chaotic stampede erupts when the escapees surge into the crowd. Ademide executes a brave rescue, pulling Ifunnaya to safety and bringing her to Lanshile’s hideout—the closest refuge they can reach. Awele discovers their location and summons the youth organizers, who stand ready to mete out vigilante justice. Faced with a harsh confrontation, the children and Yejide rally to persuade Awele to end the feud. In a pivotal gesture, Awele chooses mercy, covering Lanshile’s escape and choosing to step away from the cycle of revenge. The film closes on a note of reconciliation, with the family and the town finding a path forward beyond the bitterness that had once defined Buka Street.

• This retelling keeps the core details intact while presenting them in a clear, readable flow, preserving the emotional stakes and the communal fallout of the rivalry between Yejide and Awele.

Last Updated: October 05, 2025 at 11:39