City Boys Vs Village Boys Supporters Clash In Imo As Stampede Disrupts Empowerment Rally, Palliatives Looted
Dan Opara
Chaos erupted at the Rear Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu Square, popularly known as Heroes Square, in New Owerri, Imo State, on Saturday, March 14, 2026, during an empowerment programme organised by the City Boy Movement, CBM.
The event, which was designed to mobilise grassroots support for the 2027 re election bid of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, was abruptly disrupted following a stampede and a reported clash between members of the City Boy Movement and the Village Boys Movement, VBM, a support group believed to be sympathetic to Peter Obi.
Eyewitnesses at the venue described the incident as a scene of confusion and panic after the crowd suddenly became uncontrollable.
According to several participants, the situation escalated when rival supporters engaged in heated confrontations, triggering a rush toward the distribution area where empowerment items were kept.
As the tension intensified, many attendees struggled to escape the overcrowded arena in order to avoid injury.
The stampede created an atmosphere of disorder as security personnel and organisers made frantic efforts to restore calm and control the swelling crowd.
During the ensuing chaos, several empowerment materials earmarked for distribution were looted.
Among the items reportedly carted away were deep freezers, sewing machines, grinding machines, and laptop computers intended to support selected youths, traders, and other vulnerable members of the public.
A spokesperson for the organising committee strongly condemned the disruption, describing the incident as a deliberate attempt by unidentified individuals to sabotage a programme aimed at promoting economic empowerment and youth development across the South East.
The disruption occurred amid rising political tension surrounding the visit of Seyi Tinubu to Imo State.
Prior to the event, the Ohanaeze Youth Council, OYC, had called for a boycott of the rally, describing the visit as insensitive to the concerns of many Igbo people while Nnamdi Kanu remains in detention.
Following the unrest, some political stakeholders, particularly from opposition parties, criticised the strategy adopted by the organisers.
They maintained that earlier warnings had been issued regarding crowd coordination and security arrangements for the programme.
Correspondents of ThePressman Newspaper who were present at the rally confirmed that the incident occurred during the afternoon session of the event, bringing the much anticipated empowerment programme to an abrupt and disorderly end.
Nonetheless, In Imo State, Mr. Paschal Okechukwu (Cubana Chief Priest), serves as a prominent coordinator mobilizing support for the re-election bid of Bola Ahmed Tinubu ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Through organized structures and youth engagement, he has been actively involved in rallying political backing for the President’s second-term ambition.
Conversely, the Village Boys Movement, VBM, in Imo State operates without a single identifiable coordinator.
Instead, the movement is largely driven by enthusiastic youths who collectively express their strong support for Peter Obi.
Their participation reflects a grassroots-style mobilization anchored on shared political aspirations and youthful solidarity.
