Sarah Martins Decries KAI Officers’ Action After Street Feeding Halted in Lekki
Nollywood actress Sarah Martins has expressed deep disappointment over the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (KAI)’s decision to halt her street cooking outreach in Lekki, describing the action as “heartless and devoid of empathy.”
The actress, who has become known for her consistent humanitarian efforts, explained in a heartfelt Instagram post that her meal was intended for over 200 street children who depend on her regular feeding program for survival.
Martins admitted that she was wrong for cooking on the walkway but lamented that the officers’ approach was unnecessarily harsh. She recounted how her food and cooking items were seized, leaving dozens of hungry children — many of whom had not eaten all day — devastated.
“I cried not because my utensils were taken or because of the food,” she wrote, “but because those little ones were heartbroken and hungry. That was my pain.”
The actress further clarified that her street-feeding initiative wasn’t for publicity or profit, emphasizing that her social media pages are not monetized. According to her, she has been running the outreach for seven years, driven purely by a passion to make street children feel seen, loved, and valued.
Martins, however, noted that the KAI officers could have handled the matter differently — perhaps by allowing her to complete the feeding before advising her on better safety measures.
💬 Opinion: When Good Deeds Clash With Bureaucracy
Sarah Martins’ ordeal touches on a much deeper issue in Nigeria — the disconnect between compassion and policy. While the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps may have been enforcing the law, their approach raises an important question: Should humanity sometimes come before procedure?
In cities like Lagos, where poverty and hunger are everyday realities, individuals who step out to lend a helping hand often fill the gaps left by weak social structures. Instead of stifling such efforts, authorities could seek collaborative solutions — providing safe spaces or permits for street outreaches rather than outright clampdowns.
Sarah’s initiative reflects the kind of grassroots compassion that governments should nurture, not frustrate. Feeding hungry children shouldn’t be seen as a nuisance — it’s a service to society.
Her story reminds us that charity doesn’t need perfection; it needs permission to exist. And sometimes, the smallest act of kindness — a meal on a walkway — can mean everything to a child who hasn’t eaten all day.
