Two people have died following a machete attack at Filmhouse Cinemas IMAX in Lekki, Lagos, with eyewitnesses describing a violent confrontation that erupted outside the cinema in the early hours of Saturday.
The Lagos State Police Command confirmed that two people died in the incident after a yet-to-be-identified man allegedly attacked security personnel at the cinema.
According to police, the suspect, who appeared to be destitute and was suspected to have been under the influence of drugs, allegedly attempted to gain access to the cinema but was stopped by security personnel. He subsequently became violent and attacked the guards with a machete and knife.
One of the security guards was fatally stabbed, while another sustained injuries. The attacker was subsequently mobbed by people at the scene and also died.
Police spokesperson SP Adebisi Abimbola said investigations were ongoing, including efforts to obtain and review CCTV footage from the cinema to establish the sequence of events and determine whether other people were involved. The command has also taken the cinema’s Chief Security Officer into custody as part of the investigation.
Sports journalist and eyewitness Buchi Laba said he had been at the cinema to watch The Odyssey, with the film starting at about 10 p.m. and ending around 2 a.m.
In a post on X, Laba said he emerged from the cinema to find a large crowd and blood at the scene.
I was there!! One of the worst experience of my life and why I made this tweet: https://t.co/NPRiQy5pEc
I went to watch “Odyssey” at IMAX Filmhouse Cinema, Lekki, yesterday! The movie started at 10pm and ended around 2am in the morning! Immediately I came out, there was a huge… https://t.co/Tk8tDdewhw— Buchi Laba (@Buchi_Laba) August 29, 2026
He said the attacker had stabbed two security personnel, one in the chest and the other in the back, before he used his car to help take the injured guards to hospital.
Laba said one of the security guards later died and described the incident as one of the worst experiences of his life. He also said he remained in his car and cried for hours after witnessing the violence. His account has since attracted widespread reactions online.
Filmhouse Group expressed sadness over the incident, which it said occurred in the car park outside one of its locations and was unrelated to its regular cinema operations.
The company commended the security personnel who confronted the attacker, saying their intervention helped contain the situation and restore safety.
Filmhouse said it was cooperating with the relevant authorities and had introduced additional precautionary measures and increased security across its locations.
The incident has renewed concerns about security in public entertainment venues, particularly places that attract large numbers of people at night.
However, police have yet to release the identities of those who died or provide a complete account of what triggered the confrontation. Investigators are expected to rely on CCTV footage and other evidence to establish how the incident unfolded.
For now, the police investigation continues as authorities seek to clarify the circumstances surrounding the deaths and determine whether anyone else may have been involved.
