Northern governor clamps down on street begging, 66 arrested and convicted

• Kwara State Government arrests and convicts 66 thoroughfare beggars roaming Kwara State communities
• Street beggars reacted, expressing desperation and hopelessness, explaining however the government's determination is simply a menace to their livelihood
• Assistant Controller of Correctional Service successful Kwara, Okunola Adebayo, explains however the caller improvement volition assistance present taste reform

Some Hausa thoroughfare beggars residing successful the Gambari Area of Ilorin, Kwara State, person spoken retired astir the caller wide apprehension and convictions of their colleagues by the authorities government.

Legit.ng learned that the Kwara State government arrested 66 beggars, made up of 21 children, 28 women and 17 men connected Tuesday, June 24.

The beggars were apprehended during a statewide cognition carried retired by the Ministry of Social Welfare and Development successful conjunction with the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigeria Correctional Service and the Ministry of Justice.

Some beggars residing astatine Gambari Area of Ilorin, Kwara State, person spoken retired astir the wide apprehension and convictions of their colleagues by the authorities government. Photo credit- PIUS UTOMI EKPEI/AFP
Source: Getty Images

The raid was carried retired successful large locations specified arsenic the Post Office, Ibrahim Taiwo Road, Sulu Gambari Road, Asa Dam Road, Geri Alimi Roundabout, Tanke Junction, and Offa Garage.

Those arrested were arraigned and convicted by a Mobile Court presided implicit by Senior Magistrate Jumoke Bello.

They were sentenced to assemblage work nether the supervision of the Correctional Service, a determination which the authorities says volition betterment them.

A sojourn by Legit.ng to fashionable begging spots specified arsenic the Gambari country and Geri Alimi connected Sunday, June 29, revealed that the beggars person not backed down from their regular hustle. Despite the caller arrests and convictions, galore of them were seen seated successful their accustomed positions, continuing their regular arsenic though thing had happened a fewer days earlier.

Some beggars residing astatine Gambari Area of Ilorin, Kwara State, person spoken retired astir the wide apprehension and convictions of their colleagues by the authorities government. Photo credit- AMINU ABUBAKAR/AFP
Source: Getty Images

The beggars who spoke to Legit.ng expressed anger, sadness and helplessness implicit the attraction they received from the government.

They besides insisted that they person nary different means of livelihood and truthful cannot simply locomotion distant from thoroughfare begging.

One of the beggars, Mallam Ibrahim Usman, claimed to person been successful the concern since 2012, and said that helium came to Ilorin from Sokoto State.

“I don’t steal. I don’t combat anyone. I lone beg due to the fact that I americium bare and my legs nary longer let maine to enactment well. Is it a transgression to beg for nutrient successful a state wherever the authorities does not assistance the poor?” helium asked.

Another beggar, Hafsat, seen alongside her 3 children, said her household depends connected begging for survival.

“My hubby died 4 years ago. I person nary one. What enactment tin I bash with these children? We lone devour from what radical springiness us. Government should pity us. We are not criminals,” she said.“No 1 is readying to permission this begging due to the fact that we whitethorn not win oregon we whitethorn die. The solution is to support moving for the constabulary until they get bushed and permission america alone,” she added.

A authorities root who requested anonymity owed to a deficiency of authorization to talk connected the substance has defended the operation. He disclosed that the thoroughfare beggars are imaginable information threats and alleged that galore of them enactment arsenic informants to terrorists and kidnappers.

“What I heard was that the authorities has received quality reports that immoderate of these thoroughfare beggars are being utilized by kidnappers, disturbing the bid of the state. This whitethorn beryllium wherefore the authorities is trying to propulsion them away,” the root said.

Reform done assemblage labour

The Assistant Controller of Correctional Service successful Kwara, Okunola Adebayo, explained that the beggars would service their sentences done assemblage service. He described it arsenic a reform-based punishment designed to instil a civilization of

“hard enactment and dignity.”

A reappraisal of the Kwara State Street Begging (Prohibition) Law of 2006 by Legit.ng reveals that thoroughfare begging is criminalised, with violators liable to a good of ₦5,000 oregon a jailhouse word of up to 3 months, oregon both.

Despite the instrumentality and the enforcement campaign, respective beggars stay defiant and proceed their mean business to past amid the clampdown.

A ritualist disguised arsenic a beggar

Legit.ng antecedently reported that a Nigerian antheral had shared his harrowing brushwood with a pistillate beggar whom helium met connected the road. He shared the communicative via the X app, and it rapidly went viral, garnering tons of comments from netizens.

He recounted however the beggar had returned his money months aft helium had fixed it to her.

He claimed that the beggar had attempted to usage the wealth for ritual purposes, but her program backfired and failed to output the desired results.

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Source: Legit.ng