Nigeria's information minister Dora Akunyili isn't mincing her words when it comes to criticizing what she sees as a denigrated portrayal of her countrymen in DISTRICT 9.

Akunyili began urging theaters to stop showing the film after she watched it at a private screening for government officials, Variety reports.

"The film clearly denigrated Nigeria’s image by portraying us as if we are cannibals, we are criminals," she told BBC’s Network Africa show.

Akunyili also wrote a formal letter of protest to distributor Sony, demanding an apology and asked that Sony edit out all references to Nigeria in the film.