Lagos Police Bow To Pressure, Arrest Funke Akindele
Following Nigerians’ call for the arrest of Funke Akindele who hosted a house party in contravention of the ongoing lockdown in Lagos, the state police Command have finally arrested the Nollywood actress.
As earlier reported on EELive, Jenifa as fondly called, came under heavy criticism on social media; after throwing a birthday house party for her husband, JJC Skillz amid the lockdown order in Lagos.
The talented filmmaker’s husband had turned 43 on Saturday, April 4, 2020.
The house party which resulted to serious controversy among the Nigerian populace, had a couple of people in attendance, including Naira Marley and Eniola Badmus, who recently returned from the United Kingdom, a high-risk country.
Confirming Jenifa’s arrest, Lagos State Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Bala Elkana, disclosed that the actress had been taken to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCIID) in Panti, Yaba area of the state.
“Yes, we have (arrested) Funke Akindele and we are looking for the others. She has been taken to SCID,” Elkana was quoted as saying.
It was however gathered that men of the Lagos Police Command, had arrived Amen Estate, where she resides alongside her husband.
The policemen reportedly arrived in about three patrol vehicles, when they took the actress into custody.
Funke Akindele’s Defence
Meanwhile, the actress had apologised for throwing a house party to celebrate her husband amid the ongoing coronavirus lockdown in the state.
Explaining why she threw the house party, she stated that the guests at the party had been in the estate before the lockdown.
“My husband and I run the Scene One studio in Amen Estate where we live. We have about twelve studios in the estate where we film our movies. We have a strength of about a hundred workers. When the pandemic started, we had to stop all works; including ‘Omo Ghetto, the Saga’ that was to start in April.
“Before our president announced the lockdown, a lot of youths were in the estate for a boot camp; some of which you saw in the video. When the lockdown started; some of the staff that live outside Lagos couldn’t go back so they had to stay back.
“Naira Marley is part of the Omo Ghetto project. When the lockdown started, he decided to stay back because he loved the environment. Then my husband’s birthday came up and we all celebrated as a family,” she explained.
Going by the jail term of one month or N100,000 fine or both for persons found guilty of hosting gatherings or flouting the lockdown order; as the Lagos Infection Diseases Regulations 2020 institutes, will the actress have to face the full wrath of the law?
