No fewer than 500 beggars including 70-year-old woman has been arrested by the Kano State Government charged with violating the law that bans street begging in the state.
The state commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Dr Zahra’u Muhammad-Umar, disclosed while repatriating the beggars to their states in Kano yesterday.
Muhammad-Umar in charge of Women Affairs stressed that the beggars were arrested in Kano metropolis with 70 per cent being women and children, and 30 per cent men.
“Those arrested included women, children, men and Almajiris. The children don’t go to school and have no good food to eat,” she said.
She said , the decision to arrest the street beggars follows, in order to safeguard their future and make Kano and Nigeria a better place for all.
“it was stated that obnoxious character is mostly found within the beggars.
“We will continue to arrest them to ensure sanity and rid the streets of all forms of crimes,” she said.
Muhammad-Umar explained that a 70-year-old woman was also arrested with cigarette and matches found in her possession.
“This kind of woman could spoil our children’s behaviour and the society at large.
“Street begging affects the lives of our children, especially when you employ Almajiris to work in your house,” she stated.
She commended Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje for supporting the ministry to empower the beggars.
“We have taken down their names, local governments, phone numbers and repatriated them back to their various homes and states, while they will be empowered.
“For those beggars repatriated to neighbouring states, an agreement letter will be written by their Ward head and any one arrested for the second time would be charged to court,” she said.
The commissioner said the ministry would soon begin the evacuation of street hawkers, especially young girls hawking on the streets.
