By Barbara Nwaiwu
The Lagos State Government has arrested 396 beggars in an environmental sanitation enforcement exercise and commenced profiling them ahead of their return to their respective home states.
The development was announced on Tuesday by the Lagos State Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, in a statement shared on his official X page.
According to Wahab, the operation was carried out by operatives of the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC), also known as the Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI) Corps, as part of the state government’s sustained efforts to sanitise Lagos, strengthen environmental enforcement 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.
“This initiative reflects the government’s commitment to maintaining public order, protecting the environment, and ensuring a cleaner, safer, and more secure Lagos for all,” the commissioner stated.
The state government said the profiling process would enable relevant agencies to determine the specific needs of those apprehended and provide appropriate assistance before coordinating their relocation through the relevant authorities.
A video accompanying the statement showed many of those apprehended, including elderly persons, nursing mothers, persons with disabilities, and individuals using wheelchairs or crutches.
The operation is part of the Lagos State Government’s ongoing environmental sanitation and public order initiatives, which include campaigns against street begging, indiscriminate street trading and other activities it says contribute to environmental degradation, traffic disruption and public safety concerns.
Wahab reaffirmed that environmental enforcement operations would continue across different parts of the state while urging residents to comply with environmental regulations and support efforts to keep Lagos clean and orderly.