An eyewitness who survived the brutal attack at Filmhouse Cinemas IMAX in Lekki, Lagos, has revealed how patrons of the movie were locked inside the premises for more than an hour as a result of the reported blockage of the exit by the armed men.

According to reports, two people died following the attack by a machete-wielding man who attacked a security operative and another individual at the premises of the cinema. It was unclear what caused the attack.

In a video that has been making the rounds on social media, the eyewitness revealed that the incident happened around 1 am after she went to the movies.

She disclosed that the armed men blocked the exit, forcing the moviegoers to hide in the bathroom as the attackers moved around the premises with their weapons.

“We were held hostage around 1 am by two armed men. The attackers blocked the only entry we had, which made us to run to the bathroom and pray. I never experienced fear like that in my life.”

She said the armed men were holding weapons as they swung them here and there, causing injuries to people.

“These men were swinging weapons up and down, sliding into people. They actually stabbed one man. He was unalived in the process,” she said.

She also said it took about 35 minutes for a vehicle to be provided to transport the injured person to the 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.”

She criticised the emergency response of the cinema, stating that it included no provision of emergency exits, emergency medical services and law enforcement intervention.

“No emergency exit. No emergency services. No law enforcement to come to our rescue.”

She said lack of knowledge on how to respond to a stab injury also made the situation worse.

“Nobody knew what to do in the event of a stab wound. Nobody knew not to pull out that knife, [which] cost the life of that man,” she said.

She also claimed that when they finally caught the attacker, he revealed that one of the victims was the target of the attack.

“When they eventually caught the attacker, he mentioned that that particular man was his target,” she said.

Filmhouse Cinemas have condemned the attack, stating that it is sad and confirmed that an investigation is ongoing.

The cinema operator also commended the deceased individuals for their bravery, saying their actions contributed to containing the situation and restoring safety at the premises.

The circumstances surrounding the attack, including the motive and the survivor’s claims about the emergency response, are expected to form part of the ongoing investigation. (The Sun)