Mount Zion Films Don’t Demonize Yoruba Culture, We Expose Darkness – Joshua Bamiloye

Joshua Mike-Bamiloye, son of Mount Zion Films Founder Mike Bamiloye, has defended the ministry against claims that it portrays Yoruba culture and spirituality in a negative way.

Naija News reports that the debate started after the announcement that Agbara Nla, one of Mount Zion’s best-known movies, will return to cinemas on October 1, 2026, more than three decades after it was first released.

Following the announcement, an 𝕏 user identified as Ifẹ́ṣọlá criticized the film ministry, alleging that its productions have spent years presenting Yoruba spirituality as evil while promoting Christianity as the preferred belief system.

The user argued that many people are now questioning such portrayals and no longer accept them without examination.

Reacting to the criticism, Joshua said the claims gave a false picture of what Mount Zion Films stands for.

According to him, the ministry does not attack Yoruba culture but rather embraces many aspects of it, including the language, traditions, proverbs, colours and royal heritage often seen in its productions.

He pointed to the popular character Abejoye as an example, saying the character remained deeply connected to Yoruba customs and language even after becoming a Christian.

Joshua maintained that the films do not seek to erase culture but focus on spiritual transformation.

Joshua also rejected the argument that Mount Zion presents Christianity as a foreign religion in opposition to Yoruba spirituality.

He said: “Here we go again with the same stupid, tired propaganda. Mount Zion and others need to understand that the era of demonizing Yoruba culture and spirituality is over. People are educating themselves now, and these old narratives will no longer go unchallenged. Respect your faith, but stop turning Yoruba culture into the villain of every story. For over three decades, films like this have profited from portraying Yoruba spirituality as evil while presenting foreign religious worldviews as inherently good.

“Mike Bamiloye built a successful career from this formula, moved his family abroad, and now returns to sell the same story again. The difference is that people are now asking questions, and many are no longer willing to accept these portrayals without scrutiny. Here we go again, and yet you couldn’t get through one paragraph without misrepresenting what Mount Zion actually does. MZ doesn’t demonize Yoruba culture. It celebrates it; the colors, the language, the proverbs, the royalty.

“Abejoye became a born-again Christian while still speaking deep Yoruba, bowing before his king, and dropping proverbs that’ll make your grandfather nod. Nobody took his culture. The Gospel just took the throne in his heart. He framed this as ‘Yoruba spirituality vs foreign religion.’ We never did. We frame it as Light vs Darkness. Darkness has no nationality. ‘Profiting from portrayals.’ MZ has 200+ films. Less than 30% are traditional settings. Your entire argument is built on a minority of the catalog, filtered through a lens of cultural grievance.

“That’s not analysis, that’s a feeling dressed up as a fact. People are asking questions? Good. Watch the films. The full ones. From start to finish. AGBARA NLA drops OCT 1. The name of Jesus is still above every other name, in 1993 and in 2026.”