Lagos arrests 396 beggars, begins profiling for return to home states

The Lagos State Government has arrested 396 beggars and commenced profiling them ahead of their return to their respective home states.

This was disclosed by the Lagos State Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, in a statement shared via his official X page on Tuesday.

The state government said those apprehended would also receive appropriate assistance where necessary before being handed over to the relevant authorities to facilitate their safe return.

What they are saying

According to Wahab, the 396 individuals apprehended during the exercise will be profiled, provided with appropriate assistance where necessary, and handed over to the relevant authorities to facilitate their safe return to their respective home states.

He added that the arrests were carried out by operatives of the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC) as part of the government’s sustained efforts to sanitise the state and curb illegal activities.

• “A total of 396 beggars were apprehended by operatives of the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps as part of the Lagos State Government’s sustained efforts to sanitize the state and curb illegal activities.
• “The apprehended individuals will be profiled, provided with appropriate assistance where necessary, and handed over to the relevant authorities to facilitate their safe return to their respective states.”

Wahab said the exercise forms part of the government’s broader commitment to maintaining public order, protecting the environment, and ensuring a cleaner, safer and more secure Lagos.

He added that the operation reflects the state’s continued efforts to address street begging and other activities it considers detrimental to environmental sanitation and public order through coordinated enforcement and support measures.

More insights

The statement was accompanied by a video showing dozens of those apprehended during the enforcement exercise. The footage showed a mix of elderly men and women, middle-aged adults, and persons with disabilities, including some using crutches or wheelchairs and others with visibly deformed or amputated limbs, gathered after being taken into custody by officials.

• Street begging remains a common sight across many parts of Lagos, particularly at major road intersections, traffic junctions and commercial districts.
• Children, some appearing to be between the ages of three and nine, are often seen approaching pedestrians or moving from one vehicle to another, appealing to motorists and passengers for money whenever traffic slows.
• In some locations, groups of beggars sit along busy roads, bridges and strategic junctions, while others with amputated or deformed limbs position themselves on pedestrian bridges, road medians and other high-traffic areas to solicit alms.

The prevalence of street begging has remained a recurring social issue in Lagos, especially in densely populated commercial corridors and transport hubs where heavy pedestrian and vehicular traffic provides greater opportunities to seek donations.

What you should know

The latest operation follows a pattern of similar enforcement exercises previously undertaken by the Lagos State Government to remove destitute persons and beggars from public spaces as part of its environmental sanitation and public order initiatives.

• In 2013, the state, under the administration of Babatunde Fashola, carried out a similar exercise in which destitute persons and beggars were removed from the streets, profiled, rehabilitated where necessary, and arrangements were made for some to be reunited with their families or returned to their respective states of origin.
• The exercise attracted national attention after reports emerged that some of those assisted back to their home states were from Anambra.

While the relocation later became the subject of public debate, the Lagos State Government maintained that the exercise was in line with its longstanding policy of removing destitute persons from the streets, profiling them, and facilitating their reintegration with their families and communities where possible.