Most times, heist means masks, lasers and a vault hidden away somewhere that someone has to press their ear to and pick. But in Nollywood, the definition is far more exciting and chaotic. Here, heists can involve anything from tunnelling into a billionaire’s mansion, Shawshank Redemption-style, to kleptomaniac reverend sisters stealing a briefcase full of cash from a babalawo’s shrine.
We’ve compiled a list of the 10 best Nigerian movies that prove that heists can be flexible, desperate, hilarious and often chaotic. These movies feature ingenious scams, the highest stakes, and unexpected double-crosses.
10. Charlie and the Boys (2023)
Running time: 1h 41m
Director: Sele Got
Genre: Drama
Charlie (Kanayo O. Kanayo), a highly-rated conman who has been in prison for 13 months for a heist gone south, has just been released thanks to a gubernatorial pardon. He needs to win back his wife, pay for his daughter’s wedding, and, most importantly, plot revenge on the client who double-crossed him.
He plans yet another heist to sort out his responsibilities, but has to go up against Officer Philomena (Tina Mba), his self-proclaimed nemesis, who has dedicated her entire career to catching him.
Watch Charlie and the Boys on Showmax.
9. Merry Men: The Real Yoruba Demons (2018)
Running time: 1h 46m
Director: Toca McBaror
Genre: Comedy, Crime
Forget Robin Hood; meet the Merry Men, a crew of four wealthy Abuja big boys who drive sports cars, wear stylish suits, and live comfortable lives. However, their modus operandi is correct, as it involves stealing from the rich and giving to the poor.
Although the movie comes across as a showcase of flex and luxury, instead of guns and rounds of fire, the Merry Men carry out heists with just good looks and smooth tongues.
Merry Men: The Real Yoruba Demons is streaming on Netflix, but unavailable in Nigeria.
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8. Soft Work (2020)
Running time: 1h 34m
Director: Darasen Richards
Genre: Action
Dare Olusegun (Alexx Ekubo) is introduced as an attractive con artist who is supposedly every woman’s Prince Charming. He and a crew of unwilling swindlers are hired to execute a dangerous heist that targets Chief Ademuyiwa (Akin Lewis), a massively successful businessman whose entire empire is built on a secret business code.
The entire operation is orchestrated by one of the Chief’s business rivals who wants the powerful code for himself. To smoothly carry out the heist, the crew must infiltrate the coronation ceremony being held for the Chief.
Soft Work isn’t currently streaming anywhere.
7. The Millions (2019)
Running time: 1h 34m
Director: Toka McBaror
Genre: Comedy, Crime
Bem Kator (Ramsey Nouah), a con artist who doesn’t like to lose, gets tipped off by Wole Baba (Ayo Makun) about a massive project: stealing $42 million buried in a Nigerian billionaire’s basement. Bem teams up with his old friend, Jerome (Blossom Chukwujekwu), a structural engineer, bullied into crime by his demanding wife, Adenike (Toyin Abraham).
The plan is simple: tunnel into the basement and retrieve the cash. But they meet a roadblock after successfully extracting the cash.
The Millions is streaming on Netflix, but is unavailable in Nigeria.
6. A Tribe Called Judah (2024)
Running time: 2h 14m
Director: Funke Akindele
Genre: Comedy, Drama
After Jedidah Judah (Funke Akindele), a single mother of five, is diagnosed with chronic kidney disease, she’s required to find ₦18 million for treatment. The sons, ranging from the responsible elder brother (Emeka, Adamu) to his pickpocket and thug siblings, are forced to unite and find a means to save their mother.
With no legal options left, the brothers decide on one desperate plan to carry out a heist. They decide to rob Emeka’s money-laundering ex-boss of his dollars. But problems arise when they arrive at the scene and they find out they’re not the only ones trying to steal the money.
Watch A Tribe Called Judah on Prime Video.
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5. Oracle (1998)
Running time: 1h 30s
Director: Andy Amenechi
Genre: Crime, Drama
A desperate group of three: Uche (Ejike Asiegbu), Obinna (Saint Obi), and Donatus (Charles Okafor), decide the path to quick wealth is stealing the sacred mask of the revered deity Ogbakiri. They enlist the help of Uncle Ifedi (Enebeli Elebuwa) and Chief Odimkpa (Pete Edochie) to pull off the supernatural heist.
After the mask is stolen, the trail of cash slowly turns into a trail of something far disturbing.
4. Ojukokoro: Greed (2016)
Running time: 1h 50m
Director: Dare Olaitam
Genre: Crime
Almost the entire movie is set at a petrol station called Lubcon. Andrew (Charles Etubiebe), the manager, is desperately trying to raise ₦10 million to avoid an impending financial crisis (we don’t know why, but we know he needs the cash). The station’s accountant and two attendants, Sunday (Tope Tedela) and Monday (Seun Ajayi) are also plotting their own scams to make money.
Chaos breaks out when Mad Dog Max (Wale Ojo), a notorious kidnapper who has just double-crossed a politician named Jubril (Ali Nuhu), shows up at the fuel station looking for more money. Suddenly, the petrol station becomes a battleground where everyone, from the manager to the fuel attendants to the kidnapper, is simultaneously trying to rob, outsmart or kill everyone else for the loot.
Ojukokoro: Greed is streaming on Netflix, but is currently unavailable in Nigeria.
3. Broad Day Light (2001)
Running time: 1h 21m
Director: Teco Benson
Genre: Crime, Drama
This Nollywood classic is from the era of VHS tapes, when we used to pay to rent home videos on tape. A highly organised crew of armed robbers execute a bold daylight robbery at an international bank, believing their plan has secured them bags.
What the robbers fail to realise is that their success has instantly reached a committed police inspector who has sworn to hunt them down and deliver them to justice. The clock is ticking on their getaway.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFoPLEzC6zs
2. The Millions Men (2021)
Running time: 1h 17
Director: Hollie Saint Edge
Genre: Crime, Drama
A specialist team of con artists recruits two swindlers for an ambitious new operation to scam a rich CEO of an oil company. The CEO is in a desperate bid to secure a crude oil lifting deal after his work support for the opposition candidate left him out of favour with the new government.
The con artists set out to get 50% of the initial investment that the rich CEO plans to deposit for an oil allocation LPO (Local Purchase Order). To succeed without spilling blood, they need to hack the binary encryption to authenticate their fake product.
Watch The Millions Men on AfrolandTV.
1. Brotherhood (2022)
Running time: 2h
Director: Loukman Ali
Genre: Crime
Separated in childhood after their parents were murdered by robbers, two brothers, Akin (Tobi Bakre) and Wale (Folarin “Falz” Falana), end up on opposite sides of the law. Wale joins the police force, while Akin becomes an armed robber and member of The Brotherhood syndicate.
Brotherhood centres on the Akin and The Brotherhood’s high-level heist operations, loaded with action, guns and explosions.
Watch Brotherhood on Prime Video.
