Two people have been confirmed dead following an attack at IMAX Cinemas in Lekki, Lagos State, on Friday night.
The incident occurred after a man reportedly armed with a machete and knife stormed the cinema premises, triggering panic among patrons and workers.
According to eyewitnesses, the suspect attempted to gain entry into the cinema but was stopped by security personnel.
He became violent after being denied access, with witnesses claiming that he appeared to be under the influence of drugs.
The spokesperson for the Lagos State Police Command, SP Adebisi Abimbola, confirmed the incident, saying the suspect stabbed one of the security guards to death and injured another security personnel.
Abimbola said the suspect, who appeared to be destitute, was subsequently mobbed and died in the process.
“Two people have been confirmed dead,” she said, adding that the circumstances surrounding the incident were still being investigated.
She said the identity of the suspect and the circumstances leading to his death were among the issues being examined by the police.
The police spokesperson also disclosed that the Chief Security Officer of the cinema had been taken into custody as part of the ongoing investigation.
She said investigators were working to obtain and review the CCTV footage from the premises to establish the sequence of events and determine whether other persons were involved.
Abimbola assured that the police would investigate all circumstances surrounding the deaths and establish what transpired during the incident.