A female cinemagoer has recounted the terrifying experience of movie watchers who were allegedly held hostage for about an hour during a violent attack at Filmhouse Cinemas IMAX in Lekki, Lagos State.
The incident, which occurred on Saturday, reportedly left two people dead after a machete-wielding man attacked a security operative and another individual at the cinema premises.
The motive behind the attack remains unclear.
In a video that has gone viral, the eyewitness said two armed men blocked the only exit during the incident, forcing terrified moviegoers to take refuge in bathrooms as they waited for help.
She said the attackers wielded weapons indiscriminately and stabbed one man, while it took almost 35 minutes before a vehicle was secured to take the victim to a nearby hospital.
According to her, the victim eventually died after passers-by removed a knife lodged in his chest, apparently in an attempt to save his life.
“Last night I went to Lekki Phase One to watch a movie. Around 1am, we were held hostage by two armed men. The attackers blocked the only entry, so we were forced to run into the bathrooms and pray. I have not known fear like that in my life. These men were trigger happy. The entire ordeal lasted about an hour,” she said.
“These men were swinging weapons up and down, sliding into people. They actually stabbed one man. He was unalived in the process. It took nearly 35 minutes to get one good Samaritan to provide the car to transport that man to the nearest hospital.
“At this point, he had already bled out. Because innocent passers-by pulled out the knife in his chest, thinking it could save his life. But he bled out.”
The woman also criticised the alleged lack of emergency infrastructure and security response at the cinema, saying moviegoers were left without adequate assistance during the attack.
“No emergency exit. No emergency services. No law enforcement to come to our rescue. On top of that, nobody knew what to do in the event of a stab wound. Nobody knew not to pull out that knife cost the life of that man,” he added.
She further claimed that the attacker later told authorities that the slain man had been his intended target.
“When they eventually caught the attacker, he mentioned that that particular man was his target.”
Filmhouse had earlier expressed sadness over the incident and confirmed that an investigation into the attack was ongoing.
The entertainment company also commended the deceased individuals for their bravery, saying their actions contributed to containing the situation and restoring safety at the premises.
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