The Kano State Government said it has arrested 200 street beggars and Almajiris for allegedly violating the law banning street begging in the state.
The Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Dr Zahra’u Muhammad-Umar, stated this while repatriating the beggars in Kano on Monday.
She explained that following the ban on street begging in the state, the ministry arrested the beggars and Almajiris in Kano metropolis comprising 60 per cent of women, children and men, and 30 per cent Almajiris.
“Some of those arrested sleep under bridges while some on the streets. Most of the beggars and Almajiris are from Kaduna, Bauchi, Borno and Yobe, among others, while only a few are from Kano”.
Muhammad-Umar noted that the decision to arrest the street beggars was to safeguard their future and make Kano state and Nigeria a better place for all.
“We noticed that because Kano is peaceful, that is why they came. It is very dangerous to leave them on the streets without knowing their parents, adding that bad behaviour is mostly found among the beggars. We will continue to arrest them to ensure sanity and rid the streets of all forms of crimes”.
She said those arrested from other states would be repatriated to their states on March 16, and would be handed over to their parents.
The commissioner said the state would render some assistance so that the Almajiris could go back to school, even as the ministry also rearrested a woman that had been given a sum N10, 000 to enable her to be self reliant, but continued begging.
“I personally gave her N10, 000 from my hard earned money and she promised to stop street begging. I will make sure she is prosecuted”, the commissioner said.
Recall that the Kano State government on February 5, arrested 500 beggars and repatriated them to their various communities while empowering 60 beggars with different entrepreneurial skills.
