A political rally organised by the City Boy Movement in Owerri, the Imo State capital, descended into chaos on Saturday after angry residents disrupted the gathering and carted away empowerment materials meant for distribution.
The event, held at Heroes Square, was organised as part of grassroots mobilisation in support of Bola Ahmed Tinubu ahead of the 2027 general election.
Eyewitnesses said the venue became overcrowded shortly after the rally began, with little crowd control in place, creating tension among participants and residents who had gathered at the location.
Within minutes, the situation reportedly spiralled out of control as some residents invaded the arena and began scrambling for items meant for empowerment distribution.
Videos circulating online showed large crowds rushing toward the stage area and carrying away various items including sewing machines, refrigerators and other packages intended for beneficiaries.
Several attendees were seen running in different directions as the crowd surged forward, forcing organisers and participants to abandon the programme.
Witnesses said the chaos erupted after the crowd realised that the empowerment materials were about to be shared, triggering a rush by many people who struggled to secure the items.
The rally was part of ongoing mobilisation by the City Boy Movement, one of several political support groups campaigning to galvanise grassroots backing for President Tinubu ahead of the next election cycle.
Although the group has been active in organising rallies across parts of the country, the president has yet to formally declare his intention to seek re-election in 2027.
As of the time this report was filed, organisers of the rally and security agencies had not issued any official statement on the disruption at the event.
