(“Come back later, I’m busy having sex with a Nigerian.”)

The Nigerian government is asking its cinema owners not to show District 9, which they say portrays Nigerians in a negative light.

“We feel very bad about this because the film clearly denigrated Nigeria’s image by portraying us as if we are cannibals, we are criminals,” said Information Minister Dora Akunyili.  “The name our former president was clearly spelt out as the head of the criminal gang [The Malawian actor, Eugene Khumbanyiwa, plays a gang leader with the nickname of Obasanjo, also the surname of former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo.] and our ladies shown like prostitutes sleeping with extra-terrestrial beings.”

But Mr Khumbanyiwa said Nigerians in the cast did not seem worried by the portrayal of their country. He suggested that the film, which depicts people wanting to eat aliens to gain the superhuman powers, should not be taken too literally.  “It’s a story, you know,” he said. “It’s not like Nigerians do eat aliens. Aliens don’t even exist in the first place.” [BBC]

What the reporters don’t tell you is that Khumbanyiwa was pantomiming alien sex and laughing when he said that.  In fact, in Malawi, sex involving an anal probe is commonly known as doing it “Nigerian-style.”  Which Nigerians are none too pleased about.  For perpetuating the stereotype, they say District 9 director Neill Blomkamp is now Nigeria’s public enemy number 2, just behind JuJu, the goat who causes miscarriages.