144 People Arrested for Begging in Lagos

No fewer than 144 people have been arrested in Lagos State for allegedly begging on the streets.

The Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, shared this information on his verified X account on Wednesday.

"A total of 144 beggars across Lagos State had been arrested as of 2:00 p.m. today (Wednesday)," he wrote.

Earlier on Wednesday, Wahab mentioned that 45 individuals, both adults and children, were arrested during different operations aimed at stopping street begging in the Oshodi, Agege, and CMS areas of Lagos.

He noted that 22 beggars, which included adults and a few teenagers, were taken in during the operation in Oshodi and Agege.

He added that another 23 people, made up of 14 adults and nine children, were caught at CMS. "Earlier today, in a separate enforcement operation, our team apprehended 22 beggars at Oshodi and Agege, comprising adults and a few teenagers.

“Additionally, 14 adults and nine children were apprehended at CMS," Wahab stated.

PUNCH Metro reports that begging is against the law in Lagos State. It is also illegal to give money to beggars on major roads.

In past warnings published by The PUNCH, the state government urged residents to donate through religious groups or charity organizations, warning that not doing so is an offense.

Explaining Wednesday’s operation in an interview with PUNCH Metro, the spokesperson for the Lagos State Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, Kunle Adeshina, said the arrests would not be a one-time thing.

"I’ll call it routine. It is part of our efforts to enforce discipline and maintain order in the state.

"I think it is about ensuring that our streets and public spaces remain safe and clean. Sometimes people ask why we don’t arrest beggars, but we are doing this to ensure that our overhead and pedestrian bridges are safe.

"It is all connected. Some of the people who occupy pedestrian bridges sometimes attack innocent citizens at night.

"They are the same people who stay on road medians and public spaces begging for money. So, this is a continuous effort," he said.

PUNCH Metro reports that Lagos officials have used the Criminal Law of Lagos State regarding public nuisance and disorderly conduct to enforce rules against street begging.

The law clearly states that people who beg or gather alms in public places are considered disorderly persons.