Lagos State Police Command has begun a manhunt for singer Azeez Fashola aka Naira Marley; and Abdulrasheed Bello aka JJC Skillz who is also the husband of an actress, Funke Akindele.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Bala Elkana, said Akindele had already been arrested.

The statement read in part, “Attention of Lagos State Police Command was drawn to a viral video showing a large number of persons mainly in the entertainment industry in an Estate, along Ajah, Ibeju-Lekki axis, Lagos celebrating a birthday party organised by Funke Akindele Bello and her husband.

“Police detectives from the State CID Yaba were promptly drafted to the location. Funke Akindele was arrested. Investigation is ongoing, efforts are intensified to arrest the remaining persons in the video, among whom are Azeez Fashola a.k.a Naira Marley and Abdul Rasheed Bello a.k.a. JJC Skillz.

“They are in their best interests urged to report at the State CID Yaba on Monday, April 6, 2020 or risk being declared wanted.”

Akindele has been widely criticised for holding a party during the lockdown imposed to tackle coronavirus.

The party in her Lagos mansion was held to celebrate the birthday of her husband, producer JJC Skillz.

Akindele has appeared in a Nigeria Centre for Disease Control video to raise awareness about coronavirus.

She has defended the party, saying that everyone who was there had been living in her house for two weeks.

However, her tweet has since been deleted.

Under the lockdown, all gatherings of more than 25 people have been banned in Lagos, Nigeria's biggest city, which has an estimated population of about 20 million people.

It is not clear from the video, posted online by JJC Skillz, whether the party exceeded that limit - but it has nevertheless been widely condemned for setting the wrong example.

Those seen in the video include singer Naira Marley and actress Eniola Badmus, and some Nigerians have questioned whether they have been living with Akindele and her husband.

Akindele is one of Nigeria's best-known actresses and came to prominence for her series Jenifa's Diary, broadcast on national TV.

A lockdown was imposed in Lagos, the neighbouring state of Ogun and the capital, Abuja, last week in order to halt the spread of the virus.

BBC/Punch