Nigerians are calling for the arrest of Nollywood actor Funke Akindele for hosting a celebrity party at home despite the government-ordered lockdown amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Thousands of Nigerians took to Twitter on Sunday calling for her arrest.
The actress, who is considered as an ambassador for the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control and Dettol, has appeared in adverts calling on Nigerians to observe social distancing and hygiene.
However, in a video posted on social media by her husband, Abdulrasheed Bello aka JJC Skillz, celebrities like singer Naira Marley and Eniola Badmus, are seen having a house party in contravention of the government order.
In the nearly two minutes long video, JJC Skillz says it was his birthday and he had to invite friends to celebrate with him at their home located at Amen Estate, Lekki-Epe Expressway.
He said, “Na here we dey, those of us wey get mind (sic). This is the best estate to be stuck in during the lockdown. It is my birthday.”
The guests, which are over 20, including Naira Marley, are also seen singing ‘Ma fo’, a song released by the musician last year.
The video sparked online outrage with many Nigerians calling on both the Federal Government and the Lagos State Government to take immediate action.
Dear @NCDCgov your Ambassador Funke Akindele, Her Husband JJC, Eniola Badmus, Naira Marley & the Entire Family threw a packed House Party Ystd. I love Funke & have nothing against her but Everyone in that House should be Forcefully Quarantined. Pls treat as Urgent. ????
— #WalkingHumanJollofRice ???????? (@n6oflife6) April 5, 2020
Dear @NCDCgov,
Please I hope there’s a clause in the contract that Funke Akindele signed that spells punishment for the kind of idiocy she displayed yesterday hosting a house party despite being a NCDC ambassador.This is a total slap on the NCDC.
Pls RT till NCDC acts on this.
— #OurFavOnlineDoc ???? (@DrOlufunmilayo) April 5, 2020
See the Crowd at Funke Akindele’s Party with Naira Marley in attendance, Eniola Badmus and people who just barely returned from the UK
The height of irresponsibility!https://t.co/IYVo36gQEG
— DANNY WALTER ???? (@Danny_Walterr) April 5, 2020
-NCDC Ambassador
-Dettol Ambassador
-Did two awareness videos on social distancing.Yet, Funke Akindele Invited Eniola Badmus and Naira Marley who returned from the UK into her house, as if that wasn’t enough, she threw a full house party.
This level of recklessness is insane!
— Obi Of Onitsha???????? (@cliqik) April 5, 2020
Pay attention to what people do and not what they say.
A few million naira and a camera and Funke Akindele will say anything you want her to say regardless of whether she believes it or not.
What she did made the work harder for the NCDC she is supposed to be representing
— Aproko Doctor™ (@aproko_doctor) April 5, 2020
What Funke Akindele did has always been my concern with Nigerian celebrities ambassadorship deals. As an ambassador, you should live, preach & breath the essence of that brand.
Same way some of them get signed as Infinix/Tecno ambassadors but end up flaunting iphones outside.
— Wale Adetona (@iSlimfit) April 5, 2020
Dear Funke Akindele,
You are educated.You know about the virus.
You are even an ambassador for the agency fighting the virus.Yet you throw a party in your house,
And you are shameless enough to put videos on social media.This is really sad to see:
You are an elite idiot ma. pic.twitter.com/VTV8qmN0Mi— #OurFavOnlineDoc ???? (@DrOlufunmilayo) April 5, 2020
How can you throw a party in a period like this?
How can you attend a party in a period like this?
Sometimes you just wonder why educated folks decide to behave like stack illiterates. Funke Akindele, her husband and everyone that attended that party acted irresponsibly.
— Olúyẹmí Fásípè ???????? (@YemieFash) April 5, 2020
Sidney pranked us, he got away with it. If the government doesn’t arrest everyone that attended that Funke Akindele’s house party, Maybe everyone should just go back to their normal lives and let the virus kill all of us ????????♂️????????♂️????????♂️
— Salman???? (@NotJustSalmanPR) April 5, 2020
If by the end of today, Lagos state government are yet to arrest everyone that attended that Funke Akindele’s party, then I’ll be forced to resume work first thing tomorrow morning
— OMOTAYO Of Lagos ???????? (@Tee_Classiquem1) April 5, 2020
The Lagos Infection Diseases Regulations 2020 (the Regulations) prescribes a jail term of one month or N100,000 fine or both for persons found guilty of hosting gatherings or flouting the lockdown order.
It reads in part, “Where there is a violation of a close down or stay at home order, security agencies shall have power to arrest without warrant and may detain any person who violates the close down or stay at home order for at least forty-eight (48) hours.
“Where the arrested person is found guilty, the person is liable to a fine of one Hundred Thousand Nara fine (N100,000.00) or one (1) month imprisonment or three (3) months Community service.”
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