The Kano state government has arrested 500 beggars for allegedly violating the law that bans street begging in the state.
The State’s Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Zahra’u Muhammad-Umar, said this while extraditing the beggars from the streets of Kano metropolis on Friday.
She said the 70 percent of the beggars were women and children who are almajarai, adding that government decided to extradite them is to safeguard their future and make Kano a better place for all.
“Street begging affects the lives of our children, especially when you employ Almajiris to work in your house,” the commissioner said.
“The children don’t go to school and have no good food to eat. “We noticed that bad behaviour is mostly found within the beggars. We will continue to arrest them to ensure sanity and rid the streets of all forms of crimes.”
Muhammad-Umar said 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.”
“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,” she said.
“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.”
