Lagos State justifies KAI enforcement during Sarah Martins charity cook-out
Lagos State Government has defended the actions of its Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI) officials in the incident involving actress Sarah Martins, who alleged she was harassed while cooking free food on a road median in Lagos. The government, through Jubril Gawat, Senior Special Assistant on New Media, acknowledged that the enforcement took place and said it was part of the ongoing sanitation drive to keep Lagos clean and maintain order.
According to the official statement, the location where Sarah Martins set up to cook—on the median of Admiralty, Lekki Phase 1—violated state laws that govern public space use and environmental sanitation. Gawat’s post emphasised that the action was not targeted at the charity itself but at maintaining the regulations that prohibit cooking or trading in unauthorized public areas.
The government insists that enforcement agencies are required to ensure that every operation respects statutory guidelines for safety, public health, and traffic flow. While sympathizing with the emotional impact of the event, the state maintained that no public space may be used in ways that compromise the environment, pedestrian safety, or overall urban order.
At the same time, Lagos State has said it will investigate any claim of misconduct during the enforcement, including allegations that cooking utensils were seized and that hot oil was poured on Sarah Martins’ hand. The state urged that such events must be handled with civility, even while laws are enforced.
