The development followed her recent encounter with officials of the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC/KAI), who apprehended her on Thursday during a street cooking outreach in the Admiralty area of Lekki Phase 1. Authorities said the actress breached “Objective Four” of the LAGESC/KAI law on street vending, which forbids the preparation or sale of food on public roads or pavements.
In a video shared on Instagram Friday, Martins announced that Seyi Tinubu had personally offered financial support to her Golden Heart Foundation, commending her dedication to helping the needy through food outreach initiatives.
A representative seen in the video presented an envelope containing the ₦20 million donation, stating that Mr. Tinubu admired the actress’s humanitarian work and urged her to acquire a proper facility for her charitable activities.
“He said you’ll be able to get a shop with this, where you can continue to harness your cooking skills and scale production,” the representative explained. “He also promised to equip the shop with industrial cooking equipment for sustainability.”
Reacting with visible emotion, Ms Martins described the gesture as a turning point in her philanthropic journey.
“From disgrace to grace,” she said. “Mr. Seyi Tinubu just supported my NGO with ₦20 million. He also promised to take my free food charity outreach to the next level. I am beyond grateful.”
She added that her outreach began as a personal effort to feed underprivileged families who struggle daily to afford a meal.
“I just love humanity,” she explained. “The best way I can help is to put smiles on the faces of those who wake up unsure of their next meal. That was the motive behind my street cooking initiative.”
Sarah Martins, who began her acting career in 2004, is known for her roles in films such as The Widows, Dangerous Mad Man, The Gods Are Wise, Family Lies, and Feast of the Spirits. Her charity initiative, though recently controversial, has earned her praise for using her platform to support Lagos’s vulnerable communities.