Lagos State governor’s aide, Jubril Gawat, has reacted to the arrest of Nollywood actress Sarah Martins by task force officials while she was cooking meals for charity on the streets of Lekki.
Gawat, who serves as the Senior Special Assistant on New Media to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, made the disclosure on his official X (formerly Twitter) account on Friday, emphasizing the state’s commitment to cleanliness and orderliness:
“KEEP LAGOS CLEAN. This lady claims she is ‘cooking for charity’ and she is using the median around Admiralty, Lekki Phase 1 as her ‘kitchen’. The KAI officials have arrested her with all her equipment and cleaned up the whole axis.”#KeepLagosClean #ZeroToleranceLagos
The actress was seen in a viral clip being surrounded by enforcement officers who seized her cooking items and dispersed her team.
While many social media users applauded the state’s swift enforcement, others argued that a warning could have been issued before the arrest.
One user, @amaka_ada042, commented, “A warning would have been issued before enforcement.” Another user, @favvinc, defended the government’s action, saying, “From the comment section, Nigerians are not ready for change. What she’s doing is good but with a very wrong approach. A law is a law and she will be held accountable.”
Meanwhile, some users questioned the actress’ intentions. @olaiya_feyikemi wrote, “I know one thing for sure, she’s doing this good work for content and views’ sake.”
Others urged a peaceful resolution. @mrandmrs_ag said, “I think she should have gotten a permit to cook by the roadside… I hope they resolve it amicably without going to magistrate.”
The incident has since reignited public debate over the balance between community-driven charity and urban regulation in Lagos.
