Oloibiri

In 1956 crude oil is discovered in Oloibiri. Timipre, an educated elder, cannot persuade his kin to demand control or decent local employment from LESH, who offers only empty promises. Decades later, he is tormented by the catastrophe that befell Oloibiri.

Boma, known as Gunpowder, rises as a vigilante in the oil-rich region, targeting both white companies and exploitative locals. He kills his former partner, Dogo, accusing him of greed. This marks the start of his relentless crusade against perceived betrayal.

News arrives that Foreshaw has been approved to extract oil from Otuagbagi in a deal worth $300 million per year. Gunpowder infiltrates Foreshaw by planting a spy close to its leadership, using Azu to relay a message to Powell that reveals the exploitation’s damage. Powell receives an envelope with photographs of malnourished Nigerians and oil-poisoned communities, fueling his concern.

Powell decides to visit Nigeria to assess the situation firsthand, accompanied by Cyril Beke, the Nigerian representative who is more interested in personal gain than the people’s welfare. Powell hopes to address the communities’ needs directly on the ground. The trip signals a potential turning point in the industry’s relation with locals.

Powell's convoy, including Cyril and a group of soldiers, is ambushed by Gunpowder and his men. Powell escapes with the help of a loyal soldier and is found by the doctor, Timipre’s grandson’s love interest, who escorts him to Timipre's house. The close call deepens the tension between the communities and the oil interests.

Timipre initially threatens to deliver Powell to Gunpowder, driven by old grievances and fear. The doctor and Powell persuade him to help, and he agrees to shelter Powell by conspiring with Gunpowder's mother to provide a safe haven. This uneasy alliance reshapes the power dynamics in the region.

Azu and Dobra, Gunpowder's accomplices in the US, kidnap Powell's family and his second in command, Mr. Sheen. They demand the cancellation of the Oil Mining Lease (OML) as ransom to force the hand of the oil company.

Gunpowder captures Timipre, his grandson, the doctor, and Powell. The OML is cancelled, but Gunpowder reneges on releasing Powell, insisting that Powell and Cyril must pay with their blood. The conflict escalates into a brutal standoff.

Azu reports himself to the police, revealing Gunpowder's hideout. In the meantime, Timipre, the doctor, and Powell manage to escape captivity after Timipre kills one of Gunpowder's men. The balance of power shifts once more as law enforcement closes in.

Heavily armed soldiers attack Gunpowder's hideout and overpower his gang. Gunpowder falls from a watchtower as a glass cup in his mother’s hand shatters, a symbolic sign of his son’s death. A vision shows a younger Gunpowder in front of an altar with a Rosary, and his body ends up soaked in crude oil upon landing.

The story closes with a newspaper report stating that Timipre has become a representative of the community and will work with Foreshaw for the locals’ best interests. This marks a shift toward governance by those who once suffered under the oil industry’s excesses. The community looks to rebuild with a more equitable approach to extraction and employment.

Across the arc of the narrative, Gunpowder’s crusade is driven by personal loss and betrayal, a motive that fuels his violent methods. The final imagery—oil, a rosary, and a broken cup—serves as a meditation on how wealth from the land can corrupt and destroy. The film leaves the audience with a stark question about who truly benefits from oil.