As the world marks the International Day of Peace, a stage play titled ‘NEMESIS: A Tale of Two Soldiers’ was performed at Wole Soyinka Theatre, Department of Theatre Arts, University of Ibadan, to examine the trauma of war, the consequences of violence, and the need for individuals to find peace within themselves.
The production, a collaboration between Afemoju Creations and Phoenix Tribe Africa, brings to the fore the psychological and physical consequences of conflict through the story of two soldiers who find themselves on opposite sides of a war.
Speaking on the message behind the play, the producer, Dr Olanike Onimisi said the story became particularly relevant because September 21 is observed globally as the International Day of Peace.
According to her, the play demonstrates how people who are regarded as enemies can discover their shared humanity when they look beyond hatred, trauma, and the circumstances that place them on opposing sides.
She said the two soldiers carry the trauma of war and the losses they have suffered, but eventually find the courage to reconcile and embrace one another.
However, their attempt at reconciliation ends tragically when another soldier, unable to understand how supposed enemies could become friends, opens fire on one of them.
She said the tragic ending reflects the danger of refusing to let go of hatred and grievances.
‘The message is not only about the battles that happen on the battlefield. It also starts with the words we say, the things we say to people and how we relate with our fellow human beings.
‘The question is, where is our humanity? Terrorism, conflicts, and kidnapping, not only in Nigeria but across the globe, often begin when one heart does not find peace within itself and refuses to extend peace to another person,’ she said.
The producer also explained that the production was designed to take the message of peace to young people. She disclosed that secondary school students from different schools were invited to a matinee performance, with tickets provided for them by American Open University to attend free of charge.
According to her, the initiative was aimed at exposing young people to the power of theatre as a platform for reflection and social change; and that the students’ comments during the post-performance reflection showed that they deeply understood the message of the play.
‘Their comments featured love, compassion, understanding, trust, and unity as determinants of peaceful co-existence,’ she said.
She recalled that her production of Bode Sowande’s ‘Mammy Water’s Wedding’ to commemorate 2024 World Environment Day, in collaboration with Cinema Road Media, brought the young and elderly together into the theatre to reflect on their responsibility towards the environment.
She said NEMESIS similarly provided an opportunity for students, academics, civic leaders, military and paramilitary officers, peace advocates, and the general public to reflect on their responsibility towards humanity.
She added that the play explored both physical and psychological wars through poetry, music, and dramatic dialogue and actions, urging Nigerians and people across the world to become agents of peace.
Chris Anyanya, the playwright and actor, described NEMESIS as a global play conceived against the backdrop of conflicts, banditry, kidnapping and other forms of violence in Nigeria, as well as wars and unrest in other parts of the world. He explained that the title NEMESIS reflects the consequences that eventually caught up with one of the characters.
‘The play is about the trauma that comes with war and how we can engage and improve peace talks around the world. That was what inspired the idea of writing NEMESIS.
‘At the end of the day, there is only so much we can do about some of these events, but the world is supposed to unite,’ he said.
The director, King James Dandy, described NEMESIS as a reflection of real-world situations and a warning about the evils and repercussions of war. He said the play examines how people can become enemies by proxy, even when they were not born enemies.
Dandy also called on leaders and people in positions of authority to understand the responsibility to be conscious of their actions, stressing that the kind of leadership provided would ultimately influence the nature of society.
‘First, be human. We cannot close our eyes to the evils in society. As leaders, you need to represent the people. You cannot just be passive about the things happening around you,’ he said.
He also called on individuals who are not in positions of authority to contribute to peace building by promoting love, tolerance, and respect for human life.
Following the performance was a peace dialogue moderated by Dr Olusola Isola, the Acting Head of the Department of Peace, Security and Humanitarian Studies, University of Ibadan.
Colonel Michael Williams, Acting Director, 2 Division Education Services, drew on lessons passed down from Nigeria’s Civil War, stressing that the responsibility for preventing conflict, including the hate speech that often precedes it, is on individuals.
‘Relating to the play, I think there is a need for young people to understand what it is to be peaceful. War is never the best solution. Peace is always the way forward,’ he urged the audience.
Assistant Commissioner of Police, ACP David Apapa, from the Oyo State Police Command, emphasised that to have peace in the nation, everyone has to be involved in building and keeping it. He cleared the air about misconceptions on the operations of security personnel, noting that they all work together to secure peace in society.
‘We work together and that’s why we’re able to achieve success. It is never the case of it’s the soldiers, it’s the amotekun, or it’s the police. We all work like brothers.’
He admonished the audience to always embrace peace: ‘Peace is always the best. So wherever we can preach peace, let’s have peace’, he concluded.
UI’s Chief Security Officer, Mr Lasisi Oyekanmi, stated that the university’s approach to security always favours dialogue over confrontation. He also cited the sacrifices of people who, in his words, ‘lay down their lives’ to secure the peace the country now enjoys – making it possible for even the audience to be gathered in the theatre that evening.
‘We cannot achieve everything with violence, and we should not be selfish,’ he told the audience.
The moderator, Dr Olusola Ishola, answering a student’s question whether peace solves everything, said: ‘Peace is what you work for continuously; the moment you stop working for peace, then you have a resurgence of violence.’
He concluded the session with a call to the youth: ‘like the drama says, love is all it takes to create peace and to sustain peace. With that, I encourage, especially our young ones, to please get prepared to work for peace. That is the future of the world.’
The Acting Head of the Department of Theatre Arts, Dr ‘Tunde Awosanmi, thanked everyone present and noted that the 140th anniversary of the Kiriji Peace Treaty was celebrated with a symposium at the International Conference Centre, University of Ibadan earlier in the day.