Two persons have been confirmed dead by the Lagos Police Command after an unstable man wielding a machete and knife allegedly stormed IMAX Cinemas in Lekki and attacked fun-seekers inside the premises.
One of the deceased persons was identified as a security personnel deployed to prevent unauthorised individuals from gaining access into the viewing hall.
On Saturday, it was gathered that the security personnel’s decision led to a face-off between him and the paranoid man who insisted on gaining entry yesterday.
It was learnt that, within this short period, an altercation ensued between both men, resulting in the destitute allegedly stabbing the security personnel to death.
The development, eyewitnesses said, resulted in panic among cinema patrons and workers after watching how the security personnel fell while battling for his life.
Eyewitnesses said the assailant, who appeared to be under the influence of drugs, became violent after being prevented from entering the premises.
Confirming the incident, spokesperson of the Lagos State Police Command, SP Adebisi Abimbola, said the suspect allegedly stabbed one of the security guards to death and injured another security personnel during the attack.
According to her, the suspect, who appeared to be destitute, was subsequently mobbed and died in the process.
“Two people have been confirmed dead,” Adebisi said, adding that the circumstances surrounding the incident were being investigated.
She explained that the identity of the assailant and the precise sequence of events leading to his death were part of the issues being examined by the police.
Adebisi further disclosed that the Chief Security Officer of the cinema had been taken into custody as investigations continued.
She said the police were also working to obtain and review the Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) footage from the premises.
According to her, the review of the footage would assist investigators in establishing what transpired and identifying any other persons who may have been involved in the incident.
The police spokesperson said an investigation had been launched into the incident, assuring that all relevant circumstances surrounding the deaths would be established.