UNKNOWN INDIVIDUALS LOOTED PALLIATIVES AT OUR OWERRI RALLY – CITY BOY MOVEMENT. (PHOTO).

 Unknown individuals looted palliatives at our Owerri rally – City Boy Movement

An empowerment programme organised by the City Boy Movement, a support group for President Bola Tinubu, descended into disorder on Saturday when a large crowd surged forward and looted items intended for distribution to beneficiaries across Nigeria's South-East region.

The event, held at Heroes Square in Owerri, marked the official launch of the Renewed Hope National Tour and the City Boy Movement South-East Youth Tour and Empowerment Programme on March 14, 2026. It aimed to provide support to young people, market traders, and vulnerable individuals from Abia, Anambra, Imo, Ebonyi, and Enugu states.

Items prepared for distribution included shuttle buses, sewing machines, deep freezers, grinding machines, barbing kits, wheelchairs for persons with disabilities, smartphones for content creators, generator sets, laptops, cash grants, farming kits, fertilizers, and hair salon equipment.

According to the movement's South-East spokesperson, Chief Uche Nworah, the programme was progressing smoothly until unidentified individuals stormed the venue and began carting away the empowerment materials. This sudden action triggered panic in the crowd, resulting in a stampede.

In a statement, Chief Nworah described the disruption as regrettable but insisted it should not overshadow the initiative's positive goals of empowerment and support. He was present at the event and witnessed the incident firsthand, rejecting what he called a "negative spin" being placed on it in some quarters. He suggested the looters appeared to be outsiders, hinting at possible attempts to sabotage the gathering.

The City Boy Movement, led by businessman Chief Obinna Iyiegbu (popularly known as Obi Cubana), has distanced itself from suggestions that widespread hunger under the current administration fueled the chaos. Instead, it maintains that external elements were responsible for the breach.

The incident has drawn mixed reactions online and in media reports, with some accounts describing it as residents overwhelming the venue amid frustration, while others highlight the organisers' claims of external disruption.