Hundreds of beggars on Monday staged a peaceful protest to
the Lagos State House Assembly over their removal from the streets in the
state. The President of the Association of Physically Challenged, Alhaji Jubril
Hassan, said the government was wrong to have asked beggars off the streets
where they were enjoying their social rights. Over 600 beggars had been
arrested by the government without providing adequate alternative for them,
Hassan alleged.
Henceforth, Anybody found giving beggars money in Lagos will
be apprehended and imprisoned for two years.
The beggars adopted PROTEST to express their displeasure and
unhappiness with the actions taken and the one to be taken by the Lagos State
Government.
Their movement within Lagos metropolis has been restricted such that anyone caught roaming the street is taken to Majidun prison (rehabilitation centre).
The media, the NGOs and human rights activists have said that the policy will further aggravate their suffering, instead of alleviating it.