A support group of Bola Tinubu, the City Boy Movement, has reacted to the looting of palliative materials during its sensitisation rally held in Owerri, Imo State, on Saturday.
The items, which included food supplies, mobile phones, sewing machines and grinding machines, were displayed at the venue ahead of their planned distribution to beneficiaries during the rally organised for participants from the five South-East states.
However, shortly after the distribution process began, the situation turned chaotic as members of the crowd surged forward in an attempt to collect the items. The rush reportedly triggered a stampede as many people scrambled to grab the materials.
Some observers attributed the incident to rising economic hardship in the country, noting that the rally was organised in support of President Tinubu’s administration.
But the City Boy Movement, led by businessman Obinna Iyiegbu, popularly known as Obi Cubana, dismissed such claims, suggesting that individuals who looted the items may have come from outside the event with the intention of disrupting it.
In a statement, the group’s South-East spokesperson, Uche Nworah, said the disruption was regrettable but should not overshadow the objective of the programme.
According to him, the Renewed Hope National Tour and the City Boy Movement South-East Youth Tour and Empowerment Programme officially began on March 14, 2026, at Heroes Square in Owerri and was initially progressing smoothly.
The empowerment programme was designed to benefit youths, traders and vulnerable groups from Abia State, Anambra State, Imo State, Ebonyi State, and Enugu State.
Items slated 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 tools, fertilisers and salon equipment.
Nworah said the atmosphere changed when unidentified individuals stormed the venue and began carting away the empowerment items, causing panic among attendees and leading to the stampede.
He added that he personally witnessed the incident and described it as unfortunate that some narratives were portraying the event negatively despite the organisers’ intentions to empower residents of the South-East.
