The Lagos State Police Command said it has arrested Nollywood star, Funke Akindele for defying government’s order on social distancing to contain the spread of coronavirus in the country. Funke’s arrest was confirmed on twitter by the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor of Lagos State on New Media, Gawat Jubril on Sunday evening. Gawat tweeted: “the Lagos State Police Command has arrested Nollywood Actress, @funkeakindele for violating the Social Distancing directive of the State yesterday … efforts ongoing to apprehend @JJCSKILLZ and others or risk being declared wanted”.
Funke on Saturday hosted a birthday party in honour of her husband, Kehinde Oloyede in her apartment which led to an uproar on social media. However, Funke, who had since apologized profusely through her twitter handle, was the topic of criticism on social media (Instagram) on Sunday after videos of the birthday party that also included Naira Marley and Eniola Badmus went viral. The popular “Jenifa Diary” star who had been engaged by the government and private companies to help propagate the social distancing campaign aimed at combating the pandemic in her sobering apology affirmed that all those at the party had been staying in the Amen Estate residence for days and weeks as part of her new project that also involves Naira Marely.
She regretted and repeatedly apologized for her indiscretion in allowing the video to get to social media, saying that she had no intention of misleading the public. The Twitter users, who were particularly displeased owing to the current lockdown as everyone has been instructed to be indoors because of the dreaded Coronavirus ravaging the country, said the party should not have held. It was coupled with the fact that Naira Marley just returned from the United Kingdom, and he was present at the sitting room birthday party which had quite number of people in attendance. According to the Twitter users, “it shouldn’t have been from Funke Akindele as she is the brand ambassador of NCDC and Dettol, meaning she was the one that is meant to lead by example.” Vanguard
Pix: Fnke Akindele
