A security guard was allegedly stabbed to death after a machete-wielding man tried to enter the cinema, while the suspect also died after being mobbed

Panic gripped a cinema in Lekki, Lagos State, on Friday night, August 28, 2026, after a machete-wielding man allegedly attacked security personnel at the facility, leaving two people dead.

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The Lekki cinema attack occurred during peak hours, sending cinema patrons and workers scrambling for safety as confusion spread across the premises.

According to eyewitness accounts, the suspect was armed with a machete and a knife when he allegedly attempted to gain entry into the cinema but was stopped by security guards at the entrance.

The man reportedly became violent after being prevented from entering and attacked the security personnel.

The spokesperson for the Lagos State Police Command, SP Adebisi Abimbola, confirmed the incident to journalists on Saturday.

She said the suspect allegedly stabbed one security guard to death and injured another security personnel before he was subsequently mobbed and died.

“The suspect allegedly stabbed one of the security guards to death and injured another security personnel. The suspect was subsequently mobbed and died in the process. Two people have been confirmed dead,” Abimbola said.

The police said the suspect appeared to be destitute and was suspected to have been under the influence of drugs when the incident occurred.

The circumstances surrounding his death are also part of the ongoing investigation.

Police begin investigation

The Chief Security Officer of the cinema has been taken into custody as investigators work to establish the circumstances that led to the fatal confrontation.

Police investigators are also seeking to obtain and review the facility’s Closed-Circuit Television footage to reconstruct the sequence of events.

“The CCTV footage will also help investigators determine whether other people were involved in the incident,” Abimbola said.

The identities of the two deceased persons had not been released as of the time of filing this report.

The police also did not provide an update on the condition of the other security personnel reportedly injured during the attack.

The incident has raised fresh concerns among residents and business operators in Lekki about security at public entertainment venues, particularly facilities that attract large numbers of people during busy periods.

Some patrons who witnessed the incident described the experience as terrifying and called for stronger security measures at cinemas, shopping malls and other entertainment centres across Lagos.

The police said investigations would continue to establish the full circumstances of the attack and determine whether anyone else was involved.

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Authorities have urged members of the public to remain calm as investigators examine available evidence, including CCTV footage, to piece together the events that culminated in the deaths.