"I was so angry," said Umeano, a Nigeria native living in Atlanta. "They were showing Nigerians as corrupt, eating aliens, saying they have sex with aliens. I could not watch that."
The movie set in South Africa is a story about an alien space ship that breaks down over Johannesburg -- leaving the stranded creatures in a fierce battle with humans.
In the film, Nigerians jump at an opportunity to exploit the aliens, who are being kicked out by their South African hosts. A Nigerian gangster provides the aliens with a range of paid services including prostitutes, food and weapons.
The depiction has sparked an outcry, including a Facebook group condemning its portrayal of Nigerians. Officials in the West African country have banned it and are demanding an apology from Sony Pictures, the film's principle distributor through Tri-Star Pictures.
"Why do they want to denigrate Nigerians as criminals, cannibals and prostitutes who sleep with extra-terrestrial animals?" said Dora Akunyili, information minister. "We've had enough with the stereotypes they have branded us with ... we are not going to sit back and allow people to stigmatize us."
