It is only fitting that Agbara Nla: The Return’s trailer ends with a biblical quote from Obadiah 1:17: “Upon Mount Zion, there shall be deliverance.” The film opens in cinemas on October 1, 2026, Nigeria’s Independence Day.
Producer Chris Odeh told OYA that the date was initially chosen to take advantage of the long holiday weekend, not to symbolise Independence Day. However, the parallel between national independence and Muwonleru’s deliverance has since taken on its own meaning, which Odeh says the team now sees as divine ordination.
In the 1993 original, Muwonleru was besieged by forces of darkness represented on earth by the powerful and feared mystic named Isawuru. Mike Bamiloye has described the new version as the original “remade and repackaged” for cinemas.
The film returns to Muwonleru years after the original, as a darkness once expelled begins creeping back and dragging a new generation into confrontation with it. The 1993 version built its reputation on its direct depiction of spiritual warfare, bringing witchcraft, water spirits, occult rituals, and a demon, Ayamatanga, into conflict with prayer and evangelism. The story culminates in Bose’s deliverance after Ayamatanga possesses her.
October 1 gives the campaign a clear marketing hook, but the bigger shift is how the film will reach audiences. Mount Zion built its audience through home video before moving much of its recent output to YouTube. With Agbara Nla: The Return, the studio is making a significant move into nationwide theatrical distribution. Mount Zion Faith Ministries partnered with Chris Odeh’s Sozo Films Production and streaming platform Circuits on the project, while Nile Entertainment is handling its release across Nigerian cinemas. The move places Mount Zion, long associated with ministry-led and digital distribution, firmly within the mainstream cinema market.
Mike Bamiloye returns to his original role as Isawuru, with Philip Olubakin as Olaboye, Damilola Mike-Bamiloye playing Kola, and Aanu Kolade-Abiodun as Bose. The wider ensemble includes Gloria Mike-Bamiloye, David Kola-Okeowo, Ruby Kolade, Erinayo M., Yemi Adepoju, Opeyemi Akintunde, and Omolara Ayoola.
The trailer suggests a larger visual and sonic scale, with directors Damilola Mike-Bamiloye and Joshua Bamiloye rebuilding the world of Muwonleru for the cinema.
BTS photos courtesy of Sozo Films.
