Sarah Martins: How street cooking incident became blessing

Nollywood actress Sarah Martins has recounted how a humiliating encounter during one of her charity outreaches turned into a life-changing blessing.

Martins recently went viral after alleging that officials of the Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI) and Lagos Environmental Sanitation Corps harassed her while she was cooking free meals for the homeless in the Lekki Phase 1 area of Lagos State.

Following the viral incident, Martins revealed that Seyi Tinubu, son of President Bola Tinubu, reached out to her and offered ₦20 million to support her humanitarian work, along with a promise to provide a fully equipped shop for her outreach activities.

However, Seyi Tinubu later clarified on social media that it was some of his friends, not him personally, who contacted Martins on his behalf after being moved by her story.

He also stated that while he sympathised with her, he did not endorse the act of cooking on public roads — a position the Lagos State Government also upheld.

Reflecting on the experience in an interview with Sunday Scoop, Martins described the incident as a “disgrace that turned into a blessing.”

She said, “What looked like a humiliation became a testimony. Seyi Tinubu blessed me with ₦20 million and promised to furnish my shop. I’m truly thankful.”

Martins explained that she had been carrying out her street feeding outreach since 2018, long before the recent controversy.

According to her, cooking for the less privileged is her way of giving back to society and supporting those who struggle to afford daily meals.

“That Thursday wasn’t the first time I cooked in that spot,” she said.

“Many people think I had other motives, but I just wanted to help those who don’t know where their next meal will come from.

“I’ve been doing this quietly for years — not for fame or politics, but to support the government and give hope to the hopeless.”

Addressing perceptions that she is controversial, Martins maintained that she is often misunderstood.

“People think I’m controversial, but I’m not.

“I mind my business. If not for what happened with Judy Austin and Yul Edochie, I wouldn’t even be in the news for anything controversial,” she stated.

Despite the challenges, Martins said the experience reaffirmed her faith in humanity and strengthened her resolve to continue her charitable mission.